Chart of the Week: The Impact of an Aging America
Sequestration has taken effect, and yet government spending continues growing. Sequestration’s 2.4 percent reductions are not enough to fix Washington’s spending and debt problem because… Read More
Chart of the Week: Sequestration Cuts 2.4 Percent out of Total Spending
Federal spending will explode from $3.6 trillion to $6 trillion over the next 10 years, but the much-maligned sequester will cut only 2.4 percent of… Read More
Conservatives Must Woo Millennials
A new brand of politically active millennials is emerging in Missoula, Montana—and the ideology that they espouse may be a troubling sign for the future… Read More
In Congress, a Welcome Desire for “Regular Order”
As Members of Congress left town last week for the Presidents’ Day break, a refreshing and commendable sentiment followed them: nostalgia for the “regular order”… Read More
Simpson–Bowles Redux: Another $600 Billion Tax Increase
Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, former co-chairs of the 2010 White House deficit-reduction panel whose plan failed, released an outline for a new proposal on… Read More
Small Business Owners to Congress: Fix the Debt with Entitlement Reform
The National Small Business Association’s economic report finds, “The growing national debt is the number one thing small businesses thin[k] Congress and the administration should… Read More
Morning Bell: Spending Cuts Are Happening, One Way or Another
Federal budget cuts called “sequestration” are scheduled to hit in just 10 days. The sequestration cuts are not perfect—they’re a blunt instrument to cut spending,… Read More
No, Obamacare Does Not Lower Health Care Spending
Obamacare supporters tend to give credit to the law where credit is not due. In the latest attempt, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D–WA)… Read More
5 Bipartisan Health Care Reform Options
Addressing our nation’s overspending problem cannot be done without reforming entitlements, especially Medicare and Medicaid. As Washington remains clearly divided over how to get it… Read More
Morning Bell: Taking America from Welfare State to Opportunity Society
“I must go to college!” insists eight-year-old Pierre William. Such planning may seem unusual in a second grader. But Pierre is lucky. He’s attending a… Read More
CBO: Tax Increase Fails to Solve Spending and Debt Crisis
While President Obama keeps calling for more taxes, today’s figures from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) show the tax hike he signed into law just… Read More
Morning Bell: How to Balance the Budget in 10 Years
Both houses of Congress have now voted to suspend the debt ceiling until May 19, buying lawmakers more time to develop a budget. The Senate… Read More
Morning Bell: Obama’s Second Inaugural Address, Translated
Members of Congress—who are about to debate raising the debt ceiling tomorrow—should have paid attention yesterday. The President was very clear that he sees no… Read More
Will Debt Ceiling Baby Step Lead Toward a Balanced Budget?
The debt ceiling is bearing down on Washington. As with most such momentous occasions, plenty of partisan potshots have been exchanged, like this whopper from… Read More
Chart of the Week: Growth of Government Assistance Adds to National Debt
More than 41 percent of the U.S. population is “enrolled in at least one federal assistance program,” adding tens of billions of dollars to the… Read More
Morning Bell: 13 Tax Increases in 2013
New Year’s Day was tough for taxpayers. Thirteen tax increases kicked in. The deal that Congress and President Obama struck that finally—but only partially—avoided the… Read More
Chart of the Week: Government Spending Drives Debt Limit Higher
Even though Congress and President Obama reached a fiscal cliff deal, the fallout will continue to be felt by individuals, investors, married couples, and small… Read More
Morning Bell: Taxes to Rise on Most American Workers
Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called it “a happy start to a new year.” That probably tells you all you need to know about the fiscal… Read More
Top 10 Heritage Charts of 2012
If you’ve read our work, you probably know we love charts. Our signature products — the Index of Economic Freedom and Federal Budget in Pictures… Read More
Morning Bell: 10 Facts on the Fiscal Cliff, Debt, and Spending
Budget policy in 2012 was characterized by deficit spending, major increases in the national debt, and a heated debate over the “fiscal cliff.” With just… Read More
Morning Bell: 3 Simple Solutions for Fixing Social Security
Later today the Republican-led House of Representatives will vote on “Plan B,” the latest unsatisfactory proposal put forward by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to avoid… Read More
News
Too Eager for a Fiscal Cliff Deal: Republican Leadership’s $1 Trillion Tax Hike
The latest fiscal cliff proposal by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R–OH) is infuriatingly frustrating to conservatives, again. In exchange for $1 trillion in… Read More
News
Chart of the Week: U.S. Federal Debt and the Fiscal Cliff
In just a little over a decade, the U.S. federal debtwill exceed 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), an “economically damaging” level, according to… Read More
Medicare Cuts vs. Medicare Reform
As the discussions over the fiscal cliff continue, the debate over entitlement reform is getting confused. The issue is not only how much savings constitutes… Read More
Morning Bell: House Republicans Cave on Tax Increases and Punt Entitlements
When President Obama put forth his first offer on the fiscal cliff, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said, “You can’t be serious.” We could say… Read More
Morning Bell: 6 Fixes to America’s Fiscal Crisis
President Obama made his first offer to congressional Republicans yesterday in negotiations over the “fiscal cliff”—an economic catastrophe of tax hikes just a few weeks… Read More
Fiscal Cliff: Where Are Your Spending Cuts, Mr. President?
The fiscal cliff debate has centered on talk of raising taxes on high-income Americans. The silence on spending cuts has been deafening. On Monday, as… Read More
Avoiding a Debt Crisis, Eh? Lessons From Canada
Congressional lawmakers met last week to try to hammer out a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. Democrats insist on revenue increases as part of… Read More
How to Explain the Entitlement Spending Crisis to Kids
In a new video parodying Dr. Seuss’s whimsical style, the American Enterprise Institute puts the problem of growing entitlement program spending in a form elementary… Read More
How to Make Social Security Work Better for Women
President Obama’s recycled economic plan sorely lacks the much-needed reforms to make Social Security work better for women. The program needs to do a better… Read More
