Blogs

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…

In The Concord Coalition’s newly revised budget exercise, Principles and Priorities, students and other participants break into groups of five to seven to decide on a variety of policy options being discussed in Washington. One goal is to provide a…

Last December a bipartisan majority of President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform surprised skeptics with a comprehensive plan that called for shared sacrifices to reduce projected deficits over the coming decade by $4 trillion. Unfortunately, elected officials have…

Although the nation’s economic and fiscal challenges are daunting, Diane Lim Rogers, The Concord Coalition’s chief economist, encourages ordinary citizens not to give up in pressing politicians for effective action. (more…)

Fitch Ratings on Monday affirmed the U.S. government’s AAA rating but lowered its long-term rating outlook from “stable” to “negative” and warned that there is “a slightly greater than 50 percent chance of a downgrade over a two-year horizon.” The U.S.…