Oct 18, 2018 | Budgets & Projections
Are Defense and Disasters Causing the Deficit Increase?
When asked about the increasing deficit, President Trump yesterday pointed to defense spending increases and disaster relief. While both of...
Blog
Welcome to our blog – The Bottom Line, where you’ll find up-to-date commentary and analysis on the most important news in the fiscal world. Below is a list of our blog posts.
Oct 17, 2018 | Budgets & Projections
Riedl Proposes Debt Reduction Plan
Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, recently released a budget plan to stabilize debt over the long term. The plan proposes...
Oct 16, 2018 | Other Spending
OMB and Congress Propose New Way to Budget for Federal Buildings
Both lawmakers and administration officials have recently begun advocating for a different approach to funding long-term physical federal investments...
Oct 15, 2018 | Budgets & Projections
Treasury: 2018 Deficit was $779 Billion
The Treasury Department today released a fiscal year-end report showing that the deficit for FY 2018 increased to $779 billion, a $113...
Oct 9, 2018 | Budgets & Projections
CBO Shows $782 Billion Deficit for FY 2018
Late last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its estimate of the final FY 2018 deficit. CBO estimates that the deficit increased to...
Sep 28, 2018
CRFB on the Road
Over the last few weeks, we at CRFB and the Campaign to Fix the Debt have been traveling around the country, participating in panels, and doing...
Sep 28, 2018 | Budgets & Projections
A Fiscal Year Defined by $2.4 Trillion In New Debt
Typically, we mark the end of the fiscal year, which will occur on Monday, by reviewing important numbers for the previous fiscal year. This year,...
Sep 27, 2018 | Taxes
JCT: Tax Cuts 2.0 Would Slow Long-Term Economic Growth
The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) has released an official dynamic score of "Tax Reform 2.0" – a bill permanently extending last December's tax...
Sep 25, 2018 | Budget Process
Co-Chair Lowey Proposes Reforms to the JSC
The Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (JSC) continues to work on its recommendations, which are due at the end of...
Sep 24, 2018
CRFB 2018 Annual Dinner: Celebrating our Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility
On Thursday, September 13, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget hosted its 2018 Annual Dinner at the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill. We...
Sep 21, 2018 | Taxes
No, Really, Tax Revenue Has Not Risen
Update: After the end of the fiscal year, we published an updated version of this piece with final numbers from the Treasury Department.
At the...
Sep 18, 2018 | Budgets & Projections
The Progressive Caucus FY 2019 "People's Budget"
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) released its “The People’s Budget: A Roadmap for the Resistance” for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, which calls...
House to Consider Another $59 Billion of Tax Cuts
The House will likely consider a package of health-related tax cuts this week, separate from the permanent extension of the 2017 tax...
Sep 12, 2018 | Taxes
Tax Cut Extensions Would Cost $657 Billion
The House Ways and Means Committee on Monday released three bills they are dubbing "Tax Reform 2.0." The biggest of these bills would extend many of...
Sep 6, 2018 | Health Care
CMS Takes Some Steps to Improve Medicare Payments
Over the past two months, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed or issued several new rules aimed at reducing costs and...
Aug 31, 2018 | Budget Process
We Need Functional, Not Budget-Busting, Bipartisanship
The House and Senate appear to be moving through the appropriations process better and faster than any time in at least the last nine years. Congress...
Aug 28, 2018 | Economics
CBO Shows Faster Growth Is Important for Fixing the Debt
Strong, sustained economic growth is an important ingredient in putting the debt on a sustainable course. In addition to increasing incomes and...
Taking a Look at CBO's New Transparency Efforts
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has worked hard to improve transparency and accessibility of its data and analysis. Over the past two years,...
Aug 17, 2018 | Social Security
Rokita Introduces Reforms to SSDI
Our McCrery-Pomeroy SSDI Solutions Initiative shows the importance of improving the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and puts...
Aug 17, 2018 | Other Spending
Congress Should Reform NFIP
Authorization for the nation’s primary flood insurance, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), expires November 30. Unless Congress acts to...
