Budget Control Act
The Budget Control Act of 2011 is a U.S. law that aimed to reduce the federal deficit by setting limits on discretionary spending, which covers most government programs outside of mandatory spending like Social Security and Medicare. It also established a process for raising the debt ceiling, ensuring that the government could pay its existing bills. To achieve further savings, it created a bipartisan committee to propose additional cuts, triggering automatic spending reductions (sequestration) if no agreement was reached. This law reflects an effort to address fiscal challenges and maintain financial stability in the federal budget.
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The Budget Control Act of 2011 aimed to reduce the U.S. government's debt by setting limits on spending and creating a mechanism for cuts if those limits were exceeded. It established caps on discretionary spending and formed a bipartisan committee to propose additional savings. When the committee's recommendations were not enacted, automatic cuts, known as "sequestration," were triggered, affecting various programs across the government. This act aimed to promote fiscal responsibility and prevent a government shutdown but sparked ongoing debates about spending priorities and the impact of cuts on public services.