EconomyCommentary
What You Need to Know About the National Debt, in 2 Charts
The fact that the national debt jumped by $1.4 trillion in one short year should spur Congress to put an end to this excess. The… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Within a Generation, Our National Debt Will Cost the Typical Family $12,000
When confronted in the final presidential debate with the assertion that each of their plans would increase the national debt, the candidates denied it by… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Government Just Spent $168 Billion More Than the Year Before
New numbers on federal spending are in from the Congressional Budget Office, and they’re not pretty. The federal government spent $3.9 trillion in fiscal 2016,… Read More
EconomyCommentary
State, Local Governments Have Funded Only 35 Cents of Every Dollar Committed to Pensions
$5.6 trillion. That’s how much a recent report from the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, estimates state and local governments across the U.S. have… Read More
Economy Commentary
New Congressional Budget Commission Is a Smoke Screen
The House and Senate budget committees have held hearings suggesting an openness to a budget commission to help fix our fiscal woes. Budget experts have… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Raising the Debt Limit and Other Budget Mischief by Lame Ducks
Congress is up to no good. Lawmakers passed a continuing resolution before the end of the fiscal year that will fund the government only until… Read More
EconomyNews
The Government Spends $1.5 Billion Per Year on Public Relations and Ads, Watchdog Finds
A government watchdog found that over the last decade, annual government spending on public relations and advertising activities averages $1.5 billion. The Government Accountability Office… Read More
EconomyNews
No Budget? This Senator Says That Should Mean Pay Cuts for Politicians, Staff
After less than two years in Congress, Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., thinks he’s figured out what’s needed to fix the cumbersome way lawmakers fund the… Read More
EconomyNews
Watch Mike Lee Tell Americans to ‘Expect More’ of Congress in Facebook Live Manifesto
Hours after the Senate passed a stopgap spending measure to keep the federal government running, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, logged onto Facebook to record a… Read More
EconomyNews
GOP-Controlled Senate Passes Spending Bill Without Conservative Policy Riders
Three days before the federal government’s spending authority expired, the Senate advanced a 10-week continuing resolution by a 72-26 vote, putting spending on autopilot and… Read More
EconomyNews
House Conservatives Resort to Spending Plan B to Avoid Government Shutdown
When Congress returns to Capitol Hill on Monday to hammer out a stopgap spending measure, House conservatives plan to introduce a spending safety valve that… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Tax Increases Won’t Make the Budget Sustainable
In his final budget proposal, President Barack Obama proclaimed that the federal budget is “on a more sustainable fiscal path.” This is simply not true. Over the last two… Read More
EconomyCommentary
In New Spending Bill, McConnell Sides With Liberals, Ignores Conservative Priorities
After voting to proceed to a bill that didn’t exist earlier this week, the Senate has finally produced text of the continuing resolution, a short-term… Read More
EconomyNews
One Lawmaker’s Plan to Rein in Spending and Assert Conservative Principles
Before lawmakers in the House could read the Senate’s plan to fund the government after the end of the month, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, was… Read More
EconomyNews
House, Senate Republicans Jockey to Advance Short-Term Spending Measure
The chairman of the largest conservative caucus in Congress is pushing House Republicans to pass a stopgap spending package before the Senate can finish work… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Congress Is Set to Cave in to Higher Spending Again
It’s an all too familiar sight: It’s the end of the fiscal year, and Congress is scrambling to keep the government open after it has… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Trick Lawmakers Use to Hide Their Wasteful Spending
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re running a restaurant (and if you are already, congratulations). Imagine, further, that every month you serve more and more… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Simple Saving Measure Congress Overlooks: Factoring in Interest Costs
Before committing to legislation that will increase deficits, Congress should evaluate interest costs to see how much a proposal will truly cost over time. Interest… Read More
EconomyNews
How Ted Cruz’s Internet Offensive Could Change Spending Strategy in the House
Sen. Ted Cruz’s latest showdown with the Obama administration over the White House plan to give up control of the internet could help bring wayward… Read More
EconomyNews
Congress Must Close New $10 Billion Gap in Government Spending, Report Says
To meet current obligations, the government will need $10 billion more next year, forcing Congress to make new cuts, according to lawmakers’ nonpartisan budget office. … Read More
EconomyAnalysis
This Year, the Deficit Is Rising Faster Than Predicted
Congress left town this August for an extended recess without passing a budget or any required spending bills, and spending has largely been ignored as… Read More
PoliticsNews
Conservatives Push Leadership to Deny Obama His Last Lame-Duck Session
While lawmakers are away from Capitol Hill on August recess, the two largest conservative caucuses in Congress are working to keep a lame-duck spending bill… Read More
LawCommentary
Lawsuit Challenges Part of Congressional Debt Relief Plan for Puerto Rico
A court case challenging the congressional plan to deal with the Puerto Rico debt crisis has been launched to ensure the territory pays its bills…. Read More
EconomyCommentary
Here’s How Americans Can Curtail ‘Autopilot’ Spending and Take Back the Federal Budget
The federal budget is out of control. Autopilot spending currently consumes 68 percent of all tax dollars and will devour an ever-larger share of the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Grim Budget Projections Show Need for More Congressional Action, Less Rhetoric
A recently released congressional report shows the depth of American fiscal problems and the need for lawmakers to tackle the nation’s dire financial situation. On… Read More
EconomyCommentary
How the Federal Government Can Get Its Spending Under Control
The federal government has a spending problem that threatens to swallow up the resources of the American taxpayer and crush the American economy. Congress can… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Postal Service Needs Transformational Reform to Survive, but Hope for Reform Is Fading
Like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, postal reform in Congress seems to be fading fast with each new iteration. The latest version—put together… Read More
EconomyCommentary
What Government Action Poses the Greatest Risk to Growth
Proponents of higher government spending have used the Great Recession to argue that balanced government budgets hurt economic growth. In a new paper published by… Read More
EconomyNews
House Conservatives Don’t Want a ‘Lame Duck’ Obama to Have Say on Government Funding
Resigned to the strong possibility that the House will need to fund the government through a continuing resolution after this fiscal year, conservatives are warning… Read More
EconomyCommentary
How We Can Avert the Coming Debt Crisis
Government debt has grown by $13.6 trillion over the past two presidential administrations—from 54 percent of the economy when President George W. Bush took office… Read More
