Blogs

The Concord Coalition is urging the Commission on Presidential Debates to devote a significant portion of debate time next year to the candidates’ plans for dealing with the nation’s growing fiscal difficulties. While the United States faces many challenges, Concord…

Although Congress managed to keep the government open as Fiscal 2016 began last Thursday, lawmakers quickly received a troubling reminder of another approaching fiscal crisis: A letter from Treasury Secretary Jack Lew saying the government could face default in early…

Ed Rendell, former Pennsylvania governor, and Paul Stebbins, former chairman of World Fuel Services Corp., recently stressed in Iowa the importance of the public and presidential candidates focusing on the nation’s fiscal challenges. “I firmly believe that if you give…

With the next fiscal year starting Thursday, the Senate on Monday cleared the way for quick passage of a stop-gap funding measure to keep the government open through Dec. 11. The Senate and then the House are expected to vote…

Following up on his retirement announcement Friday, House Speaker John Boehner expressed frustration this week with the “unrealistic” views of Republican critics who say their congressional leaders should be more confrontational. Noting that the Bible warns against “false prophets,” Boehner…

As lawmakers continue to struggle over appropriations for the fiscal year that starts a week from Thursday, it is clear they will need to find some compromises to avoid a government shutdown. A new Concord Coalition issue statement provides background…

Old habits die hard; for the House Ways and Means Committee, the pesky habit is trying to extend expired tax breaks without paying for them. Last week the committee approved permanently adding several expired breaks to the tax code, which…

Although September is half over, there has been little evidence of progress on Capitol Hill towards even a short-term budget deal that would keep the government running after the next fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Amid the usual procrastination, finger-pointing…