#Congress

Congressional procrastination could lead to chaotic decision-making on the federal budget after the November elections, but many economists believe this procrastination is already harming the economy. The damage stems from widespread uncertainty over what elected officials will do, if anything,…

Beginning in January, approximately $109 billion in across-the-board spending cuts are scheduled to automatically take effect. Known in budget policy circles as a “sequester,” these cuts are unusual in that the executive branch directs how the spending cuts occur, as…

On Capitol Hill last week, the House continued to make progress on Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations bills as the full House passed the defense bill with a 326-90 vote, and a subcommittee approved the Labor-HHS-Education bill. The defense bill includes…

Today Concord Coalition Co-Chair Sam Nunn, a former U.S. senator from Georgia, helped launch the Campaign to Fix the Debt. This project is a non-partisan initiative to put America on a better fiscal and economic path. Nunn is a member…

The House Budget Committee last week unanimously approved legislation to require the President to submit a report to Congress detailing how a sequestration would affect programs throughout the federal budget. The bill requires the report to be submitted within 30…

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released an excellent analysis on the "Economic Effects of Reducing the Fiscal Restraint That Is Scheduled to Occur in 2013." The CBO term “fiscal restraint” has been more popularly referred to as “the fiscal…

Washington faces big decisions this year on budget issues that include tax cuts, “automatic” spending cuts and an increase in the federal debt limit. But recent remarks by elected officials underscore the deep differences between many Republicans and Democrats. (more…)

In a series of partisan and largely symbolic votes, the Senate last week rejected five budget resolutions introduced by Republicans. Three of the proposals were introduced by Senators Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) and would…