Budget

How Congress Cheats with Our Money — and How We Can Stop It

By Marc Goldwein and Zach Moller

The U.S. is on course to top its record debt levels set after World War II, and permanent trillion-dollar deficits — meaning, forever — are likely to return within two years . And unlike after World...
Will Work for Food? Republicans Push Stricter Rules for SNAP

By Michael Rainey

Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps, is provided in the farm bill, a massive spending and regulatory package Congress passes every...
April Is Financial Literacy Month. Someone Tell Congress.

By Joseph J. Minarik and Caroline L. Ferguson

February is Black History Month, March is National Women’s Month, and April? Well, it’s Financial Literacy Month, of course! The U.S. government gave financial literacy its own month in 2003. April...
Why All the Warnings About Unsustainable National Debt Could Be Wrong

By Michael Rainey

International economists are warning about rising global debt levels and deficit hawks in Washington are increasingly worried about what they see as unsustainable debt levels in the U.S., but a new...
The US Has an Exceptional Debt Outlook – and Not in a Good Way

By Michael Rainey

The International Money Fund’s latest global fiscal survey warns that in five years, the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio will be higher than Italy’s, a nation not generally known for its exemplary fiscal...

Why More School Districts Are Holding Class Just Four Days a Week

By Sophie Quinton, Stateline

The public school in Campo, Colorado, hasn’t required all its students to come to class on Fridays for nearly two decades. The 44-student district dropped a weekday to boost attendance and better...
When the Budget Won’t Balance, Just Get Rid of the Budget Committee?

By Michael Rainey

It may sound like a joke — Erik Sherman of Forbes said it seemed like something “from The Onion or Andy Borowitz at the New Yorker, only with less humor and pith” — but Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), chair...
With Recent Laws, Congress Has Added $540 Billion to the 2019 Deficit

By Yuval Rosenberg

Spending hikes and tax cuts passed since 2015 under the Trump and Obama administrations account for $540 billion of next year’s projected $981 billion budget deficit, or 55 percent, according to...
F-35 Deliveries Halted Over Repair Bill

By Michael Rainey

The F-35 Lightning II has yet to fire a shot in anger but the Pentagon is already arguing with manufacturer Lockheed Martin over a big repair bill. The Defense Department has stopped accepting most...
This State's a Big Winner When It Comes to Defense Spending

By Michael Rainey

Spending on huge weapons programs like the F-35, which has an estimated lifetime cost of more than $1 trillion, is carefully spread around the country to maximize its economic impact – and to make it...

F-35 Chief Says the Price Isn’t Coming Down Fast Enough

By Michael Rainey

The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin are still negotiating the price of the next batch of F-35s, but Vice Adm. Mat Winter, who runs the F-35 Joint Program Office, said he isn’t happy with Lockheed’s...
Why the GOP Tax Cuts Could Cost Even More Than Expected

By Yuval Rosenberg

The Republican tax overhaul will decrease government revenue and increase the deficit by nearly $1.5 trillion over 10 years before accounting for any offsetting growth effects, according to estimates...
Americans Have Their Doubts About Medicaid Work Requirements

By Yuval Rosenberg

Trump administration officials have argued that allowing states to impose work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries will help more low-income Americans climb out of poverty so that they no longer...
Making Infrastructure Dollars Go the Extra Mile

By Anthony Casciano and Martin Powell

With 70 percent of the world’s population — or approximately 6.8 billion people — expected to live in cities by 2050, the demand for safe, reliable and efficient urban infrastructure is growing at a...
Trump Administration Asks for $81.1 Billion ‘Black Budget,’ the Largest Ever

By Yuval Rosenberg

The Trump administration has asked for a record $81.1 billion in “black budget” funding for U.S. intelligence programs next year, The Washington Times reports . The request includes $59.9 billion for...