Blogs

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the budget conference committee, on Tuesday released a proposal that replaces roughly half of the sequestration scheduled through 2021 with savings from mandatory spending and revenue from ending corporate tax expenditures. (more…)

The federal deficit totaled $91.6 billion in the first month of Fiscal 2014, down from $120 billion a year earlier, according to the Treasury Department. This follows a total deficit for Fiscal 2013 of $680 billion -- the first time…

The congressional conference committee on the budget got off to a leisurely start and now appears to have bogged down after only two public meetings – and less than a month away from a Dec. 13 deadline to complete its…

In recent interviews and speeches, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the military is “challenging every past assumption, every past formula” for allocating budget resources as he tries to reorganize the military for 21st century challenges in the face of a rapidly…

The Congressional Budget Office says federal revenues were lower than expected in the last few months of Fiscal 2013, resulting in a deficit that was $38 billion higher than CBO had projected in May.The Treasury Department’s final number for the…

Twitter’s IPO last week focused some bipartisan attention on provisions in the tax code that are unfair, costly to the federal Treasury and ripe for reform.Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the chairman and ranking member of…

As lawmakers continue their work this week on a new five-year farm bill, they should be cutting unnecessary agricultural subsidies -- especially those going to extremely wealthy Americans.Savings on agricultural subsidies could be put to good use in a broader…

While Social Security benefits are going up automatically, the government’s nutritional assistance benefits are going down – and have been targeted for even further reductions.Last Friday a recession-related increase in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was allowed to expire.…