Members of Congress from the Northeast-Midwest region created the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions in order to work together on policies that would target federal resources and programs to address the economic challenges facing the region. Their 18 states send more tax dollars to the federal government than any other region of the country, yet receive less in terms of the federal government’s spending.

The Northeast-Midwest Institute was established to research and provide recommendations on public policy initiatives that would address resources to the challenges in the region.

The states in the Northeast-Midwest can ill afford to continue subsidizing economic vitality in other regions of the country when so many of their cities and towns are struggling with a legacy of aging infrastructure, loss of manufacturing capability, population loss, and the need to address environmental remediation. In order to assess progress toward a more equitable distribution of federal funds, the Northeast-Midwest Institute tracks the funding levels of a broad array of programs critical to the region and analyzes their impact. The Institute:

• Provides a same-day analysis of the president’s budget request, including a description of key programs and an analysis of long-term funding trends of programs critical to the region;
• Tracks the results of House and Senate committee and floor action on appropriations of relevant federal programs;
• Provides more detailed appropriations tracking for policy areas of special interest, such as watersheds; and
• Provides in-depth, detailed analysis of federal spending in the 18 states in the Northeast and Midwest for dues-paying members.

Appropriations Tracking

Key Regional Appropriations¹

(figures in millions of dollars)

The FY2011-2012 funding levels presented here reflect budget authority, which is the Congressionally-approved amount that federal agencies are permitted to spend.

1: Table notes:

• All funding levels are in millions of dollars.
• Proposed funding levels in bold italics are the amounts requested by the Administration.
• FY2006–FY2012 funding levels are final total fiscal year appropriations; FY2013 funding levels are not included, as many are still being finalized.
• n/a – not available at time of publication.

2: FY2011 Appropriations do not include .2% cut unless noted.
3: The 2014 Budget proposes an Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, which would combine the authorities of the Wetlands Reserve Program, Grasslands Reserve Program and Farm and Ranchland Protecti on Program and be funded at $5 billion over ten years
4: See note 3.
5: See note 3.
6: Flood Mitigation and Flood Insurance Operations, Flood Mitigation Assistance, and Flood Mitigation numbers are obligations
7: FY2014 request for discretionary funding is $400 million; an additional $200 million in mandatory funding is also requested.
8: Would receive $57.1 million due to $5 million redirect from NAWQA to WaterSMART and Priority Ecosystems Programs.
9: Does not include an additional request of $50 million for new Energy Burden Reduction grants.
10: FY2014 request not yet finalized and does not yet include funding for DC staff activities supporting the Great Lakes.
11: Takes .2% rescission and 1% transfer of funds into account.
12: Subset of HOPE VI.
13: Proposed name change to “Integrated Planning and Investment Grants.”
14: Includes operating, capital, and debt subsidies; does not include inter-city passenger rail grants.
15: FY 2014 Budget request realigns all passenger rail activities and resources including replacing the existing Operating Grants to Amtrak and Capital and Debt Service Grants to Amtrak with the Current Passenger Rail Service Program account.
16: Does not include flex funding transfers from Highway Program.
17: Grants only.
18: FY14 budget realigns this to "Rail Service Improvement Program

Federal Spending in the Northeast-Midwest Region

The Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions have tracked and analyzed federal spending and taxation patterns since their founding in the mid-1970s. Most states in the Northeast and Midwest contribute more in taxes to the federal government than they receive back in federal spending, which means the Northeast-Midwest region subsidizes federal spending in the rest of the country. The factors driving the Northeast-Midwest's low return on each federal tax dollar vary within the region. In the Northeast as a whole, higher than average per capita taxation yields a low return on each federal tax dollar despite relatively high levels of federal spending. In the Midwest, the low return on each federal tax dollar stems from relatively low levels of federal spending. Flow of Federal Funds to States

Archives

• Regional Analysis of the President’s Fiscal Year 2008 Budget
• Regional Analysis of the President’s Fiscal Year 2006 Budget
• Defense Department Base Closing Plan Would Disproportionately Affect the Northeast-Midwest Region (May 2005)
• Base Closings and Military Presence in the Northeast-Midwest: The Nation’s Unguarded Region (April 2005)
• Regional Analysis of the President’s Fiscal Year 2005 Budget
• 50-State Tables on Levels and Changes in U.S. Military Personnel
• 25 Years in the Northeast-Midwest