Blogs

The economic recovery and some steps by elected officials have reduced deficits over the past few years. But they will soon rise again and Washington has done little to deal with the key drivers of long-term budget shortfalls: an aging…

A bad idea in both President Obama’s Fiscal 2015 budget and Ways and Means Chair Dave Camp’s (R-Mich.) tax reform plan is to use one-time revenue from changes to the corporate tax system to shore up the Highway Trust Fund.Unless…

The House has passed a bill to reform Medicare payments to providers but doomed the legislation by attaching a 5-year delay in the Affordable Health Care’s individual mandate. A dozen Democrats joined the Republican majority in approving the bill Friday…

A bipartisan plan in the Senate to extend emergency unemployment benefits could provide badly needed assistance for individuals and avoid a dampening effect on the economy. Unfortunately, the proposed financing of the 5-month extension is flawed.Sponsors say the legislation would…

The latest Financial Report of the U.S. Government shows that despite recent lower deficits, long-term fiscal policy remains on an unsustainable course.The annual report, released by the Department of the Treasury, says that despite cuts to discretionary spending and increased…

President Obama’s budget for Fiscal 2015 includes new proposals that would exceed the discretionary spending caps that he and Congress approved only months ago. This would set a bad precedent for ignoring budget caps.The Ryan-Murray agreement in December set discretionary…

Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby offers two key suggestions for improving the congressional budget process: Plan ahead and pay the bills.Congress could start by simply following the rules and statutory requirements that are already in place, including the…

The recent release of House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp’s detailed plan for comprehensive tax reform was unfortunately met with a collective shrug by his congressional colleagues in both parties.“By adding specifics to what is usually a hypothetical discussion,…