EconomyCommentary
The Shutdown Shows How Unnecessary Much of Government Is
This government shutdown is now longer than any in history. The media keep using the word “crisis.” “Shutdown sows chaos, confusion and anxiety!” says The… Read More
EconomyNews
Trump’s Shutdown Differs Greatly From Obama’s
Services typically suspended during government shutdowns have continued to operate under the Trump administration, with insiders pointing to acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russell… Read More
EconomyNews
Sen. Steve Daines Introduces Bill Withholding Pay From Congressmen During Government Shutdowns, Others Join
Republican Montana Sen. Steve Daines introduced a bill on the Senate floor Thursday that would withhold the pay of members of Congress during future government… Read More
EconomyNews
Trump Calls for Halt of Funds for California’s Wildfire Recovery
President Donald Trump released a statement on Wednesday via Twitter signaling he would order the Federal Emergency Management Agency to withhold funding for California’s wildfire… Read More
EconomyCommentary
House Democratic Rules Package Could Mean More Spending, Higher Taxes
As Congress gears up for the new term, the House of Representatives is preparing a vote this week on rules to govern the 116th Congress…. Read More
EconomyCommentary
Trump’s Executive Order Freezing Federal Pay Saves Taxpayers From Extraordinary Pay Increases
President Donald Trump issued an executive order effectively freezing federal pay for 2019 at current 2018 levels. Had the president not issued this executive order… Read More
EconomyNews
Federal Workers to Keep Their Paychecks for Weeks Under the Government Shutdown
Federal employees will not necessarily feel the effects for weeks after the partial government shutdown went into effect Saturday, according to the Office of Management… Read More
EconomyNews
Mark Meadows Says Trump Will Not Budge on Requested Amount for Wall Funding
Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows said President Donald Trump will not budge on the $5 billion requested for a border wall Wednesday, as the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
EconomyCommentary
Year-End Spending Deal Contains Troubling Provisions, Busts the Budget
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
5 Ways We Are Worse Off Fiscally After 2018
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
EconomyCommentary
Here Are the 5 Worst Budget Blunders of the 115th Congress
The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote that “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” As Washington anticipates the start of the 116th Congress on… Read More
EconomyCommentary
What Would Actually Be Affected in a Government Shutdown
“Government shutdown.” Probably no two words strike more fear in the hearts of Washington politicians. The fact that another shutdown is imminent is a sign… Read More
EconomyNews
Census: Wealthiest Counties All Surround Washington
The five jurisdictions with the highest median income are all suburbs of the nation’s capital, according to numbers released by the United States Census Bureau… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The High Cost of Refusing to Confront the Exploding National Debt
Asawin Suebsaeng and Lachlan Markay have a piece in the Daily Beast citing an anonymous source that claims President Donald Trump is unconcerned with the national… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Giving a Raise to All Federal Employees Makes No Sense
The Senate’s 2019 budget contains an across-the-board salary hike of about 1.9 percent for all federal employees. That is not good news. Though modest and deficit-neutral—the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Congress Considers Voting Away Its Budget Obligations
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
Trump’s Proposed 5% Cut Would Be a Win for Taxpayers
President Donald Trump went bold last month when he directed Cabinet members to cut spending by 5 percent for their upcoming annual budgets. This comes… Read More
EconomyCommentary
8 Years After the Tea Party Wave, Congress Still Spends Like There’s No Tomorrow
When it comes to our nation’s spending, most politicians are only interested in the time between now and the next election. Because of this, we… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Bernie Sanders Blames Republicans for Our Debt Situation. He’s Only Half-Right.
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
America Cannot Afford for Congress to Abandon the Budget Caps
When recently asked about the soaring national debt, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blamed entitlement spending and Congress’ lack of interest in taking up entitlement… Read More
EconomyNews
Trump’s Plan to Cut Budget by 5% Meets With Skepticism
With the federal budget deficit reaching $779 billion, President Donald Trump is asking Cabinet members to cut spending in their departments by 5 percent next… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Growing National Debt Threatens the Current Economic Boom
The federal government’s fiscal year 2018 is over. In some ways, it was a banner year: economic growth quickened, average paychecks fattened, and there were… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Congress Sees Hundreds of Millions in New Spending as an Afterthought
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
EconomyNews
Spending Deal Breaks Promises to Voters, Conservative Lawmakers Say
Conservative lawmakers say they are disappointed with a lack of conservative priorities in a new spending package, some saying it goes against stipulations President Donald… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Congress Is Using These Deceptive Tricks to Drive Spending Higher
Congress is up to its old tricks again, trying to pass another massive spending bill that uses gimmicks and tricks to push deficit spending even… Read More
EconomyCommentary
How Emergency Spending Has Exploded in Recent Years
Over the next several weeks, Heritage Foundation experts will publish short articles on the budget and federal spending. The next 12 months are a critical… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Passing Bills on Schedule Isn’t Enough. Policy Also Matters.
With the new fiscal year just two weeks away, lawmakers are about to vote on an $855 billion package, combining appropriations for the departments of… Read More
EconomyCommentary
How Congress Could Generate Enormous Savings Across the Government
When Americans buy plane tickets, they shop around to find the deal that best suits their needs and save a lot of time and money… Read More
EconomyCommentary
3 Budget ‘Reforms’ That Would Make Matters Worse, Not Better
A congressional select committee on reforming the budget process recently held another public hearing, supposedly with the ultimate aim of designing a more transparent, accountable, and… Read More
