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.
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Cracking Down on Tax Evasion Could Boost Revenue
The Obama administration is looking into offsetting some of the costs of likely tax break extensions by cracking down on international tax evasion...
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CBO Delivers Cost Estimate for Physician Payment Updates
Yesterday the CBO delivered a cost estimate for instituting permanent Medicare physician payment updates by repealing the sustainable growth rate (SGR...
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Romer on Health Care Reform and the Budget Deficit
Yesterday, Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer spoke at the Center for American Progress on Health Care Reform and the Budget Deficit...
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Understanding the Health Insurance Excise Tax
The health care reform bill recently passed by the Senate Finance Committee relies on a $200 billion health insurance tax to help fund the costs of...
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Weekend Editorial Roundup
Here are the highlights from this weekend’s editorials on fiscal and budget policy: The Wall Street Journal criticized Congress for attacking...
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Over 100 Banks Closed in 2009
On Friday evening, the FDIC reported that it has taken over an additional seven banks ( First DuPage Bank, Riverview Community Bank, Bank of Elmwood...
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More About Those Stimulus Ideas...
Update: Yesterday evening, Senators voted 87-13 to cut off debate to the unemployment insurance bill, which prevented the consideration of amendments...
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A New TARP Program for Community Banks
The Administration has just announced a new small business lending initiative under the Treasury’s TARP. According to a White House release, the new...
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President Signs $121 Billion Farm Bill
Yesterday, President Obama signed the Agriculture Appropriations bill into law. The $121 billion measure includes $58 billion for food stamps -- a 7%...
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Update on Senate “Doc Fix” Legislation
The Medicare physician payment bill (S 1776) sponsored by Senator Stabenow was defeated yesterday by a Senate vote of 47-53, as twelve Democrats along...
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Beige Book Results
Today, the Fed released its latest Beige Book, with each Fed bank reporting on current economic conditions within its district. Reports from Fed...
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Healthcare Savings Likely to be Eclipsed by Stimulus Extensions
Forbes had a piece Monday by Alex Brill and Amy Roden of the American Enterprise Institute about the potential for stimulus programs to expand the...