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.
Image
Did the 1986 Tax Act Lead to Long Sustained Growth?
In the debate, Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) claimed that “the Ronald Reagan tax cuts of 1986…brought about one of the longest sustained periods of...
Image
Would It Cost Hundreds of Billions to Deport All Unauthorized Immigrants?
One claim regarding illegal immigration from last night’s debate focused on the cost of forcibly removing unauthorized immigrants from the United...
Image
Is Social Security’s Insolvency Date 7 or 8 Years Away?
During a discussion on Social Security, Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) said, “Harvard and Dartmouth says that Social Security’s going to go insolvent in...
Image
Is the National Debt $19 Trillion?
Quite a few candidates in last night’s debate mentioned the size of the national debt, but not all were able to do so successfully, with some saying...
Image
Is the Number of Workers per Social Security Retiree Declining?
In the so-called "undercard" debate, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated: “In 1950, there were 16 workers for every retiree. How many are there today...
Image
Did We Cut Taxes When We Last Balanced the Budget?
Governor John Kasich (R-OH), who our previous Fiscal FactChecker pointed out was a key player in the 1997 balanced budget agreement, claimed last...
Image
Ways & Means Committee Keeps Cutting Taxes, Adding to Debt
The House Ways & Means Committee today approved tax and health breaks costing nearly $420 billion over ten years, or almost $520 billion with interest...
Image
Auerbach-Gale Projections Also Show Unsustainable Debt Picture
Alan Auerbach and William Gale at the Tax Policy Center recently released their frequently-updated budget projections. Their new outlook is familiar...
Image
How to Get This Year's Budget Process Back on Track
On October 1, lawmakers will have to pass new appropriations or a continuing resolution, or the government will shut down for the second time in two...
Image
Governor Bush Releases Tax Reform Plan
Presidential candidate Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL) announced his tax reform plan to trim deductions and lower tax rates yesterday. It is one part of his...
Can Tax Reform Substantially Accelerate Economic Growth?
Since the 2016 Presidential campaign began, a number of candidates have touted tax reform – either overhauling or replacing the current income tax –...
Image
NYT's Tritch Misses the Mark on SSDI Funding Options
The New York Times Editorial Board's Teresa Tritch posted a piece last week on short-term solutions to avert next year's depletion of the Social...