Federal Budget and Appropriations
Is Obama’s budget DOA?
In yesterday’s Washington Post, Lori Montgomery did an excellent job laying out why Obama’s budget matters less this year than most. But don’t let that fool you; it still matters, and matters a ton. First, Congress has fewer than 150 staff in the House and Senate combined who review the president’s budget and put
Director’s Desk: February 12, 2014
Kenneth Gold | February 12, 2014
Congress has avoided going over yet another fiscal cliff, with the House passing a “clean” debt limit bill yesterday, and Senate passage expected later today. This will mark the fourth major piece of bipartisan legislation passed since last October’s 16-day government shutdown that includes the two-year Ryan-Murray budget agreement, the FY14 omnibus appropriations bill, and
Last One Out…
This week has been a big one for congressional retirements (Coburn, McCarthy, McKeon, McIntyre, Moran, Owens). Many we have heard about, including half a dozen Members, for various reasons but at least one columnist has speculated that it is the working conditions. Other departures have been more quiet as three senior House Appropriations Committee staffers
The Budget and Appropriations Process In 2014
This is one of a series of posts from the Congressional Update This talk took a look at the fiscal situation in the US as it concerns Congress, budgeting, and legislation. For context, take a look at this slide from the Concord Coalition, which looks at expenditures in terms of discretionary spending, mandatory spending,
The Good News is Congress Just Agreed…
Just this afternoon, the Washington Post ran a story on their web site titled “Senate Moves to Extend Jobless Benefits.” Most readers would surmise that the chamber had in fact voted to extend the emergency legislation that provided unemployment benefits beyond the traditional 26 weeks to the 1.3 million Americans whose payments were cut off
Interview on Compromise Budget Bill
In a rare moment of cooperation, Congress looks ready to pass a bipartisan budget bill that will ease sequester cuts and keep the government running for the next two years. Orchestrated by Democratic senator Patty Murray and Republican representative Paul Ryan, the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $20 billion. It passed the House
Op-Ed: No Good Options For Speaker
By Marian Currinder and Joshua Huder The federal government has shut down for the first time since 1996 and all eyes are focused on House Speaker John Boehner. Will he continue to insist upon tying a repeal or delay of Obamacare to a funding bill? Or will
Funding the Government, Defunding Obamacare, & Innovative Procedure
As Congress steps closer to the various fiscal cliffs over the next week, the pressing question for Republican leadership is how to defund Obamacare. Several Republicans have indicated they will not support any continuing resolution not tied to the defunding the ACA. The law goes into effect on October 1st and many see this as
Defense Cuts are on the Way, Part 1: $100 billion, $300 billion, or $500 billion?
The question for defense spending is not whether it’s going to decrease over the next five years; rather it’s how far and how fast. The good news for defense is that it’s unlikely to shrink as much as it did following the end of the Korean War (down 43%), the Vietnam War (33%), or the Cold
The Federal Deficit is Shrinking Dramatically: So Why Aren’t We Celebrating?
This year’s federal budget deficit is shrinking, and shrinking faster than anyone had anticipated: surely this is good news. There have been a number of really positive developments on the budget and the economy over the last several months, mostly unexpected. Just last month, the House and Senate both passed budget resolutions, for the first