Apr 19, 2021 | Other Spending
COVID Bills Had $650 Billion in Extraneous Policies
Congress has authorized around $6 trillion of fiscal support in response to the COVID pandemic, with a projected net cost of well over...
Papers
View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.
Apr 13, 2021 | Other Spending
Alexander Holt's Senate Testimony on Student Debt's Burden on Borrowers and the Economy
On April 13, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget policy analyst Alexander Holt testified at the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Economic...
Apr 9, 2021 | Budgets & Projections
President Biden's FY 2022 Discretionary Budget
Today, the Biden Administration released an abridged version of the...
Mar 25, 2021 | Taxes
Maya MacGuineas's Senate Testimony on Taxation of Corporations and the Wealthy
On March 25, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president Maya MacGuineas testified before the Senate Budget Committee on "Ending a Rigged...
Mar 22, 2021 | Budgets & Projections
The Case for Trust Fund Solutions
Some of the nation’s most important government programs are financed with dedicated revenue sources using federal trust funds. Four of those...
Mar 10, 2021 | Other Spending
How High Are Federal Interest Payments?
This year, the federal government will spend $300 billion on interest payments on the national debt. This is the...
Mar 4, 2021 | Budgets & Projections
Analysis of CBO's March 2021 Long-Term Budget Outlook
Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its March 2021 Long-Term Budget Outlook, confirming that the federal budget is on an...
Feb 23, 2021 | Health Care
Capping Hospital Prices
High hospital prices are a leading driver of high and rising costs in the U.S. health care system, resulting in insurance premium growth that...
Feb 23, 2021 | Health Care
Reducing Medicare Advantage Overpayments
The Medicare Advantage (MA) program, which allows Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in federally-funded private health insurance plans, is an...
Feb 23, 2021 | Health Care
Equalizing Medicare Payments Regardless of Site-of-Care
Currently, the Medicare program pays higher rates for medical services performed in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) than it pays for the...
Feb 11, 2021 | Budgets & Projections
Analysis of CBO's February 2021 Budget and Economic Outlook
Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its February 2021 Budget and Economic Outlook, confirming that, despite improvements as a...
Jan 22, 2021 | Budget Process
Reconciliation 101
Reconciliation is a special legislative process created as part of the Budget Act of 1974. It is intended to help lawmakers make the tax and...
Oct 29, 2020 | Other Spending
The Cost of the Trump and Biden COVID Response Plans
The COVID pandemic has caused considerable economic damage and human suffering. Policymakers responded aggressively this spring to address the...
Oct 7, 2020 | Budgets & Projections
The Cost of the Trump and Biden Campaign Plans
Whoever is inaugurated on January 20, 2021, will face many fiscal challenges over his term. Under current law, trillion-dollar annual budget deficits...
Oct 6, 2020 | Economics
Comparing Fiscal Multipliers
The United States is currently facing one of its worst economic and public health crises as a result of COVID-19. Though substantial COVID relief...
Sep 21, 2020 | Budgets & Projections
Analysis of CBO's 2020 Long-Term Budget Outlook
Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its 2020 Long-Term Budget Outlook,...
Sep 17, 2020 | Budget Process
Better Budget Process Initiative: Automatic CRs Can Improve the Appropriations Process
A government shutdown could occur at the end of this month. This year’s ...
Q&A: Everything You Should Know About Government Shutdowns
The new fiscal year (FY) will begin on October 1, 2020, and Congress has so far enacted none of the 12 appropriations bills setting discretionary...
Sep 9, 2020 | Budgets & Projections
Comparing President Trump’s Record to His 2016 Agenda
During the 2016 campaign, US Budget Watch estimated that then-candidate Donald Trump’s proposed agenda would add $4.6 trillion to budget deficits...
Sep 2, 2020 | Budgets & Projections
Analysis of CBO’s September 2020 Budget Outlook
Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated budget outlook – the first to incorporate the effects of the COVID-19...
