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.
Now's Not the Time to Raid the Pell Surplus
With 2020 college enrollment down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pell Grant program may add more to its reserves than previously estimated...
$100 Billion of Giveaways Could Accompany Year-End Omnibus Package
If lawmakers pass a short-term continuing resolution as passed by the House, they will have until December 18 to fund the government and enact COVID...
William Hoagland: The Ghosts of Budgets Past, Present & Future
G. William Hoagland is Senior Vice President at the Bipartisan Policy Center and a member of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. He...
Could a COVID Relief Deal Close the Output Gap?
Policymakers from both parties have endorsed plans to provide over $900 billion of COVID relief as part of a year-end funding deal. Democratic...
Strengthen PAYGO with House Rules Reforms
When the 117 th Congress begins in January, lawmakers in the House of Representatives can advance fiscal responsibility and better budgeting practices...
What's in the $550 Billion Senate Relief Package?
Earlier this week we detailed the contents of the $908 billion COVID relief package put forward by a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers. A...
What's in the $908 Billion Bipartisan Stimulus Proposal?
A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers yesterday unveiled a $908 billion COVID relief package. The proposal is the latest salvo in stimulus...
Maya MacGuineas: After the pandemic recovery, we must tackle the national debt
Maya MacGuineas is president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. She recently wrote an opinion...
End-of-Year Deadlines For Congress
Many economic relief provisions from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and other COVID-related bills expire at the end of...
Policymakers Should Avoid Austerity in Addressing the Debt
The economy remains weak and may be headed for a double-dip recession this winter. Though COVID relief enacted to date has been largely successful in...
COVID Money Tracker Insights
Each week, we update our COVID Money Tracker tool with the latest commitments and disbursals from the federal response to the novel coronavirus...
Canceling Student Loan Debt Is Poor Economic Stimulus
Note: We published a follow-up piece on June 3, 2021 estimating the fiscal multipliers for cancelling $10,000 and $50,000 in federal student loan debt...