Spending cuts were to be enforced regardless of whether the deficit picture had deteriorated because of worsening economic circumstances or because of congressional action. The result of this legislation was quite different than originally envisioned. A sequestration was enforced only once, in the first year. In other years, the Congress used various gimmicks to avoid sequestration, or it simply raised the targets.
The actual deficit did not meet the target in any of the years GRH was law, in part because, during this period, external events, such as the savings and loan crisis, tended to overtake the policies that the Congress had enacted to try to close the budget gaps. Other countries have also used budget targets as a means of enforcing fiscal discipline.