Blogs

The need for sweeping, long-term changes in the federal budget has been underscored by recent reports and other developments: A fresh warning on the unsustainable paths of entitlement programs, projections of another trillion-dollar-plus deficit this year, more unrealistic proposals in…

After last week’s recess, the House is expected to continue work this week on the Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations bills. The first of the bills, Commerce-Justice-Science, is scheduled to be considered on the House floor this week, and House subcommittees…

Cinco de Mayo over the years has become a popular American excuse to overindulge on nachos and beverages served in salt-rimmed glasses, but it should also serve as a reminder about the severe consequences of incurring large national debt. Many people…

Bipartisan legislation to address waste and duplication in federal programs was introduced last week in the House and Senate. Sponsored by Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) as well as Representatives Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and…

Budgets proposed by President Obama and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan have received considerable attention in Washington this year. But both have serious shortcomings and lack bipartisan support. (more…)

The annual report issued Monday by the trustees of Medicare and Social Security underscores the unsustainable nature of both programs in their current forms. The troubling data in the report also demonstrate the need for comprehensive fiscal reform as soon…

The Treasury Department last week reported that the federal deficit for the first half of Fiscal 2012 totaled nearly $779 billion, roughly $50 billion less than a year ago.Between Oct. 1 and the end of March, the government took in…

As a recent Chicago Tribune editorial noted, most House members chose last month to “put partisanship above progress on the nation’s debt” by supporting budget plans favored only by one party or the other. But 38 lawmakers voted for bipartisan…