Budget

Trump’s Military Parade Cost Estimate: $12 Million

By Michael Rainey

President Trump’s military parade this fall will cost about $12 million, according to estimates provided by Pentagon officials Wednesday. The "military-themed Veterans Day Parade" is still in the...
Who Should Foot the Bill for a Secure Election System?

By Yuval Rosenberg

In a party-line vote, House Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic effort to boost election security funding. The vote was on a procedural motion by Democrats intended to add $380 million for...
A Warning About the Next Economic Crisis from Leaders Who Battled the Last One

By Yuval Rosenberg

Three top officials who helped steer the U.S. through the financial crisis a decade ago warned Tuesday that, while the banking system has clearly been strengthened, policymakers might find it harder...
Kudlow: Tax Cuts 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 May Be Coming

By Yuval Rosenberg

Larry Kudlow, director of President Trump’s National Economic Council, sat down for a wide-ranging interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer Wednesday morning in New York. Kudlow made headlines last month by...
The White House Makes a ‘Trillion-Dollar Admission’

By Yuval Rosenberg

The White House Office of Management and Budget on Friday released its updated annual budget request , known as the mid-session review. The numbers don’t mean much given that the president’s budget...

Lawmakers Battle Over Veterans Health Funding

By Yuval Rosenberg

A complicated fight over spending on a veterans health program is throwing a wrench into the congressional appropriations process for 2019. The showdown could force lawmakers to fall back on another...
F-35 Price Drops Below $90 Million: Report

By Michael Rainey

The Pentagon has made a preliminary deal with Lockheed Martin for the next batch of F-35 stealth jets, according to a Reuters report from the Farnborough Airshow in England. The “handshake agreement...
The US Now Spends $1 Billion a Year Detaining Immigrant Kids

By Yuval Rosenberg

Detaining immigrant children has become a $1 billion business, the Associated Press reported Friday. Grants from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “for shelters, foster care and other...
Is the War on Poverty Over?

By Michael Rainey

The White House declared this week that the war on poverty “is largely over and a success” as it pushes for stiffer work requirements for recipients of federal aid. In a paper released Thursday,...
Former HHS Secretary Tom Price Wasted More Than $300,000 on Travel

By Michael Rainey

President Trump’s former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price improperly spent at least $341,000 on travel, according to an Inspector General report issued Friday. The IG reviewed 21 trips...

Mulvaney: Democratic Criticism of CHIP Clawbacks Is Pure Hypocrisy

By Yuval Rosenberg

Mick Mulvaney is firing back at Democratic critics of the White House’s plan to cut $15.4 billion in spending, including $7 billion in unspent funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. In...
Sports Gambling May Not Be a Jackpot for States

By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline

Some states were getting ready to jump into sports gambling even before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized it last week, lining up legislation that would allow their states to cash in as quickly as...
Rates on US Bonds Now Higher Than for Other Developed Countries

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Rising interest rates in the U.S. have pushed the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds higher than the yields for similar government bonds from seven major developed countries for the first times since...
More NATO Nations Meeting the 2% Pledge

By Michael Rainey

President Trump met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg last week, offering the president an opportunity to highlight recent increases in military spending in Europe. “[W]e’ve increased and...
3 Big Risks the US Faces as Debt Levels Soar

By Yuval Rosenberg and Michael Rainey

In a new note to clients, Goldman Sachs economists say that U.S. fiscal outlook “is not good.” If you’re reading this you likely already knew that the picture isn’t pretty — but the new Goldman Sachs...