David Ditch is a senior policy analyst in budget policy in the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation.
View all authorsEconomyCommentary
At the end of 2009, the total federal debt was $12.3 trillion—a staggering amount of money. Now, it stands at an astonishing $23.1 trillion. That’s… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Some politicians running for federal office make it sound as if the biggest problem facing our country is that we don’t send enough of our paychecks to… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Amid the drama surrounding impeachment, both parties came together on one area of shared support: spending enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars and adding to the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
It’s rare to find good news when it comes to the federal government’s fiscal health. The national debt is now a staggering $22.8 trillion, the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Ten years ago, the federal government reached a dismal milestone: a one-year deficit of $1 trillion. Now, like too many movie franchises, we’re getting the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Americans should not be celebrating the spending deal agreed to by congressional leaders and President Donald Trump. They should be appalled and insist Washington stop… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Taxpayers from all 50 states pay into the Highway Trust Fund when they fill their tanks with gas or diesel fuel. That sends billions of… Read More
EconomyCommentary
There is renewed hope for trade talks with China—a welcome development for the American economy. But the damage caused by the fight continues. The U.S…. Read More
EconomyCommentary
Federal lawmakers have been talking about their desire for bipartisan legislation on infrastructure since before President Donald Trump’s inauguration. This April, a meeting between Trump… Read More
EconomyCommentary
When considering the leviathan size of the federal government, it’s easy to overlook the quality of individual programs. After all, we can reduce the $4.1… Read More
EconomyCommentary
“Can Congress Avoid a Debt Default and $125 Billion in Spending Cuts?” That’s the scary headline of a New York Times article by Emily Cochrane… Read More
Economy Commentary
The federal government has more programs than anyone can ever hope to count. Each year it spends trillions of dollars, much of which is wasted… Read More
EconomyCommentary
President Ronald Reagan’s famous maxim, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” remains true today. Yet during times of great prosperity, it’s… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Members of Congress are promoting the concept of changing three programs from the discretionary category (requiring annual appropriations) into mandatory (auto-pilot) spending. Such changes would… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Senate Budget Committee will move one step closer to producing a new budget this week when it meets for a mark-up hearing on its… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Nearly 10 years after Congress passed billions of dollars in funding with no expiration date for rail boondoggles, American taxpayers have received a fresh reminder… Read More
EconomyCommentary
When the border funding dispute between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats led to a partial federal government shutdown, what followed was weeks of speculation… Read More
EnergyCommentary
Even California can’t apparently support high-speed rail. Just a few hundred miles of high-speed rail in California was well on its way to exceeding $100… Read More
EconomyCommentary
With discussions for resolving the partial federal government shutdown seemingly at an impasse, some are concerned about the shutdown’s impact on two components of the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Discussion of the year-end continuing resolution, or spending deal, has hinged on two topics: whether additional funding will be provided for border security, and whether… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The holiday season is a good time to reflect on what took place over the last year—to reflect on victories, defeats, and to consider whether… Read More
SecurityCommentary
As the 115th Congress comes to a close, America is once more faced with the prospect of legislators who have retired or been voted out… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Congress should be using the lame-duck session to do meaningful work. Unfortunately, it’s doing the opposite: seeking to cut its future workload while leaving long-term… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who sits as the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee, recently released a report blaming the entirety of the federal government’s… Read More
EconomyCommentary
For most Americans, $351 million is serious money. The median worker earns $45,708 per year, which means it would take 7,679 average earners to reach… Read More
