Blogs

The House Ways and Means Committee approved a measure last week that would allow the Treasury to continue issuing new debt to pay interest on the publicly held debt and Social Security benefits even if the statutory debt limit has…

With a particularly destructive wildfire season this year, the U.S. Forest Service is struggling with the cost of firefighting operations -- and warning Congress of even more difficult times ahead. “In 1995, fire made up 16 percent of the Forest…

Back from its long August recess, Congress faces some difficult decisions and tight deadlines, the result of another collapsed budget process and persistent procrastination this year. Lawmakers should try to quickly move forward on these decisions, aiming for fiscally responsible…

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released updated projections that reinforce the need for presidential candidates to explain how they would curb the federal debt over the next decade. “Even with declining short-term deficits and slowing health care costs, Washington…

To meet the nation’s fiscal challenges, changes are needed throughout the federal budget. That includes domestic spending programs, defense and the inefficient tax code. But Medicare and Social Security reform are “a crucial part of the mix,” says Chase Hagaman,…

Congressional partisanship and inaction have often dismayed advocates of responsible fiscal policies in recent years. Phil LaRue, director of government relations for The Concord Coalition, points to examples such as the breakdown of the budget process and debt-limit showdowns that…

Congress must pass Social Security legislation by late next year to prevent the Disability Insurance Trust Fund from running dry, a crisis that would trigger automatic 19 percent cuts in disability benefits for millions of Americans. (more…)

There were no big surprises in the latest Long-Term Outlook from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). No real surprises, either, in this summer’s annual reports from the trustees who oversee Medicare and Social Security. “And that’s the problem,” say John…