Policy Briefs

Given the acrimonious political environment and the wide discrepancy between the House and Senate budgets, the conference committee now scheduled to report by Dec.13 begins its work with low expectations. However, if the committee approaches its task with flexibility and…

In their latest updates on Social Security and Medicare, the trustees for the programs include data that show the growing strain they will put on the rest of the federal budget unless Washington can agree on a long-term fiscal sustainability…

The hope for "regular order" on a budget resolution stalled this week as unfortunate partisan bickering continued over whether lawmakers should proceed with a House and Senate conference committee. Republicans on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Harry…

I. Introduction The annual Budget and Economic Outlook released on Feb. 5 by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) contained some good news. The deficit is coming down. The debt is relatively stable over the coming 10 years. Revenues are going…

As election day approaches, it is appropriate to look at what we know and what we don’t know about the two candidates’ fiscal policy proposals -- especially since we are unlikely to get any more details before the election. In…

“Campaign to Fix the Debt,” a new initiative to push for comprehensive fiscal reform, is being launched in Washington today. The campaign calls the unsustainable long-term path of the federal debt “a grave challenge to our future.” The goal is…

I. What’s a structural deficit? One possible response to the recent spike in federal budget deficits -- from $161 billion in 2007 to more than $1 trillion in each of the last three years is: Don’t worry. It’s all caused…

While elected officials are celebrating an agreement to extend the payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits and the “doc fix” on Medicare reimbursements through the end of this year, there would be much more to celebrate if the deal had included…