Arlen Specter: “This year's bill contains a program level of $104.5 billion for fiscal year 2001. This is a $7.9 billion increase over…”

“This year's bill contains a program level of $104.5 billion for fiscal year 2001. This is a $7.9 billion increase over fiscal year 2000, which had a program level of $96.6 billion. When assertions have been made that the bill has grown by 20.4 percent--that is over 20 percent--that is not correct. That calculation is made by comparing the fiscal year 2001 program level of $104.5 billion with the fiscal year 2000 budget authority level of $86.5 billion. That is not an accurate comparison. When you compare the 2001 actual program level to the 2000 program level, the real increase is 8.2 percent. This question has come up with some frequency. I thought it would be useful to make that explanation.”