#National Debt

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stirred considerable discussion in Washington with a thoughtful speech last week emphasizing the need to develop a credible long-term deficit reduction plan even as the economic recovery continued.Such a plan, he said, could provide better…

A Washington Post editorial today sums up a bunch of different strands of thinking about the federal budget that Concord has been writing about and talking about a lot recently. (more…)

If the Obama administration follows through on its newly announced effort to identify and weed out unproductive federal programs, it could build public confidence and support for more sweeping fiscal reforms in the future. (more…)

If the Obama administration follows through on its newly announced effort to identify and weed out unproductive federal programs, it could build public confidence and support for more sweeping fiscal reforms in the future.The White House has asked federal agencies…

Deficits remain a big focus in Washington as President Obama, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and members of Congress in both parties have struggled to find the right balance between nurturing the economic recovery and demonstrating fiscal responsibility.But timing is…

The Obama administration has announced a very small effort to reduce deficit spending, and yet liberal groups are attacking them for promoting a policy that will kill the economy – or at least prolong the recession. And conservatives continue to…

Public concern about the nation’s rising debt burden is beginning to have an impact on the legislative agenda. That much was evident as the House passed a scaled back “extenders” bill (H.R. 4213) on May 28 by a slim margin.…

There’s debate over whether the President’s fiscal commission should focus on total federal debt or just the part of the debt that is held by private investors and foreign countries. Either figure, however, is high by historical standards.No one can…