Budgetary savings from troop drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan are expected to be $838 billion over 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday.
The large sum of projected unspent Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) money has been targeted by both parties as a potential offset for major legislative items.
President Obama wants to use part of it to fund infrastructure projects, while congressional Democrats have said it can be tapped to help pay for the payroll tax cut package.
Some Republicans have indicated interest in using the money to eliminate the Medicare “doc fix” problem, which the CBO said will now cost $316 billion to repeal. Democratic leaders have championed the idea.
