#National Debt

Earlier this week the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for next year (2022) would be 5.9 percent. That’s slightly more than the 5.8 percent increase in 2008, and the biggest increase since 1982.[1] Under current…

With pressure mounting to avoid a default on federal government obligations, Senate leaders Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Chuck Schumer, agreed to a temporary compromise: Republicans agreed not to filibuster legislation addressing the debt limit and Democrats agreed to…

For several months, Republicans and Democrats in Washington, DC have been barreling towards each other on a collision course over a pair of looming fiscal deadlines. First, Congress must prevent a government shutdown by passing a temporary stopgap funding measure,…

The United States Armed Forces uses an alert system called the “defense readiness condition” (DEFCON) to describe different levels of readiness, or states of alert, for military personnel. It increases in severity from DEFCON 5 (least severe) to DEFCON…

Budget Breakthrough After moving at a breakneck pace and holding a special session, the House and Senate passed an FY 2022 budget resolution on Tuesday, setting the table for the annual appropriations process. It also jumpstarts reconciliation, the strategic…

"Democrats announced in early July that the progressive and moderate wings of the party had agreed to a top line spending level of $3.5 trillion for the upcoming reconciliation bill. They also promised to pay for most, if not…

To prevent their agenda from stalling, President Biden and congressional Democrats  must secure two major policy victories before recessing for the upcoming month-long district work period: (1) complete negotiations on a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and pass…

Washington -  Today, the Congressional Budget Office released a topline summary of its much-anticipated update to the 2021 budget baseline. The previous installment from CBO was published in February, prior to enactment of the $1.8 trillion American Rescue Plan…