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Roadmap for America's Future/The Ryan Budget

Ryan speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. on February 10, 2011.

On May 21, 2008, Ryan introduced H.R. 6110, titled "Roadmap for America's Future Act of 2008 and commonly referred to as The Ryan Budget."[40] This proposed legislation outlined changes to entitlement spending, notably major alterations in Medicare.[41] The Roadmap found only eight sponsors and did not move past committee.[42][43]

On April 1, 2009, Ryan introduced his alternative to the 2010 United States federal budget. This alternative budget would have eliminated the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, lowered the top tax rate to 25%, introduced an 8.5% value-added consumption tax, and imposed a five-year spending freeze on all discretionary spending.[44] It would also have replaced Medicare.[45] Instead, it proposed that starting in 2021, the federal government would no longer pay for Medicare benefits for persons born after 1975, and would instead pay a fixed sum in the form of a voucher for the Medicare beneficiary to buy private insurance with. The plan attracted criticism since the voucher payments would not be set to increase as medical costs increase, leaving beneficiaries partially uninsured.[45] Ryan's proposed budget would also have allowed taxpayers to opt out of the federal income taxation system with itemized deductions, and instead pay a flat 10 percent of adjusted gross income up to $100,000 and 25 percent on any remaining income.[46] Ryan's proposed budget was heavily criticized by opponents for the lack of concrete numbers.[47] It was ultimately rejected in the house by a vote of 293-137, with 38 Republicans in opposition.[48]

In late January 2010, Ryan released a new version of his Roadmap.[49] The modified plan would: give across the board tax cuts by reducing income tax rates; eliminate income taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest; and abolish the corporate income tax, estate tax, and alternative minimum tax. The plan would privatize a portion of Social Security,[50][51] eliminate the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance,[51] and privatize Medicare.[50][51]

On April 15, 2011, the House passed the Ryan Plan for 2012 by a vote of 235-193. Four Republicans joined all House Democrats in voting against it.[52] A month later, the bill died in the Senate by a vote of 57-40, with five Republicans and most Democrats in opposition.[53]
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His second coming:

EXPECT the GoP campaign to use this as a core policy:

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At the end of March 2012, the House of Representatives passed a newer version of Ryan's budget plan for fiscal year 2013 along partisan lines, 228 yeas to 191 nays; ten Republicans voted against bill, along with all the House Democrats.[58] Ryan's budget would reduce all discretionary spending in the budget from 12.5% of GDP in 2011 to 3.75% of GDP in 2050. This goal has been criticized as unrealistic since it includes spending on defense, which has never fallen below 3% of GDP.[59] Congressman Justin Amash, a Republican from Michigan criticized Ryan's budget for insufficient cuts, its continuation of deficit spending through 2022 and beyond, and its exemption of military spending from reductions.[60] His budget has also been criticized because it would not balance the budget until 2035. Marc Goldwein, the policy directory for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget stated "We may never, as a country, have a balanced budget again, And you know what? We don't have to." Ryan saw this as evidence of the severity of the deficit crisis.[61]
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Right-wing social engineering, in Newt Gingrich's memorable words.