Blogs

President Obama joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey last Thursday to outline the administration’s vision for a leaner, more affordable military. The plan shifts from the capacity to fight two large ground…

Bipartisan efforts to reform Medicare were elevated this week by the release of a proposal from Senate Budget Committee member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Their proposal would convert Medicare into a “premium support”…

The demise of the deficit reduction super committee left many people wondering whether the polarized atmosphere in Washington has made it impossible for Republicans and Democrats to reach agreement on the thorniest issues that must be resolved to achieve a…

This week the appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2012 is expected to be completed when President Obama signs a $915 billion omnibus appropriations bill into law. Since the fiscal year began Oct. 1, several federal agencies had been funded through…

With Iowa residents making up their minds on the GOP presidential hopefuls before the state’s Jan. 3 caucuses, it is important for voters to focus on what the candidates say – or don’t say – about their plans to meet…

Last week, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and other committee Republicans introduced several bills proposing changes to the federal budget process. The legislation includes measures to restrict spending and change the annual process, but does not significantly address revenues.…

Congressional debate continues this week on plans to extend the Social Security tax cut, unemployment benefits and other expensive provisions that are about to expire. Last week the Senate again voted down earlier Democratic and Republican proposals that would have…

If Congress were to simply follow the budget path laid out in current law, the federal government might escape some of its widely anticipated fiscal problems over the next few years. But that is a big “if,” as became clear…