Aug 23, 2017 | Other Spending
Are We Spending Billions of Dollars More on the Military?
During his speech detailing his new strategy for Afghanistan, President Trump said, "Under my administration, many billions of dollars more is being...
Blog
Welcome to our blog – The Bottom Line, where you’ll find up-to-date commentary and analysis on the most important news in the fiscal world. Below is a list of our blog posts.
Do Retroactive Tax Cuts Do Much to Boost Economic Growth?
As talk of tax reform heats up, some are calling for tax cuts to be made retroactive. An article in The Hill reports that Representative Mark Meadows...
Aug 14, 2017 | Social Security
Social Security's 82nd Birthday
Today, the Social Security program turns 82 years old. Social Security helps millions of Americans, and the program has a lot to celebrate.
But the...
Aug 10, 2017 | Health Care
Problem Solvers Caucus Finds Bipartisan Compromise on Health Care
The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus last week released a plan to stabilize the individual insurance market and make other changes to health care...
Aug 10, 2017 | Budget Process
House and Senate Move Forward on FY 2018 Appropriations
The appropriations season is moving forward before Congress has passed a budget. Below, we explain how that can happen.
Typically, Congress is...
Aug 9, 2017 | Budget Process
Maya MacGuineas: Take It from a Fiscal Hawk: Raise the Debt Ceiling
Maya MacGuineas is president of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. She recently...
Aug 1, 2017 | Taxes
Maya MacGuineas: 31 Years Later, Tax System Stuck in the 'Danger Zone'
Maya MacGuineas is president of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. She recently...
Aug 1, 2017 | Health Care
CBO: Drug Importation Saves $1 Billion Per Year
A recently overlooked part of the health reform debate has been how to control rising costs. One way to do so would be to lower the price of...
Jul 28, 2017 | Health Care
Trustees' Report Confirms Medicare Cannot Be Ignored Much Longer
Though health care has been a hot topic in Washington this year, Medicare has been conspicuously absent from the debate despite being the largest...
Jul 26, 2017 | Health Care
Comparing "Repeal and Replace" Bills
Note (7/27/17): This blog has been updated to reflect the Congressional Budget Office's score of a hypothetical "skinny repeal" bill with additional...
Jul 25, 2017
Scoring "Skinny Repeal"
Update (7/27/2017): This analysis is now out of date. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a score of a hypothetical "skinny repeal" bill....
Jul 24, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
Mike Murphy: House Budget Rightfully Recognizes Threat of Oversized Debt
Mike Murphy, the Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, wrote an op-ed that is...
Jul 21, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
$200 Billion in Mandatory Savings Should Not Be Too Difficult
One of the debates preceding the House Budget resolution was whether the resolution should call for $200 billion of mandatory savings. This week's...
Jul 20, 2017 | Health Care
CBO's Score of the Latest Senate Health Bill
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated score of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). This version includes...
Options for Meeting the House Budget's Reconciliation Instructions
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 House budget resolution includes reconciliation instructions requiring 11 House committees to report legislation that...
Jul 19, 2017 | Health Care
Resources on the Evolving Health Care Debate
With the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) losing support in the Senate on Monday evening, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)...
Jul 18, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
House Budget Committee Releases FY 2018 Budget
House Budget Committee Chairman Diane Black (R-TN) today released the Chairman’s mark of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 House budget resolution. The...
Jul 14, 2017 | Social Security
Maya MacGuineas: President Trump’s Logic on Social Security is Backwards
Maya MacGuineas is president of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. She recently...
Jul 14, 2017 | Health Care
Is CBO's Math on the BCRA Wrong Because It Uses Faulty Numbers?
The White House tweeted out a video Wednesday saying "the Congressional Budget Office's [CBO] math doesn't add up" because they use "faulty numbers...
Jul 13, 2017 | Social Security
How Old Will You Be When Social Security's Funds Run Out?
The Social Security Trust Funds are on a path to run out. Use this tool to find out what you stand to lose unless Washington acts.
If you're...
