Papers
View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.
Q&A: Gross Debt Versus Debt Held by the Public
On September 15, 2023, the federal government's gross debt exceeded $33 trillion for the first time. This mark serves as an important reminder of the...
Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know
The new fiscal year (FY) begins on October 1, 2023, and Congress has so far enacted none of the 12 appropriations bills setting discretionary spending...
Chartbook: Fiscal Challenges Facing the Next Administration
On August 23, Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, gave a presentation...
Principles for a Fiscally Responsible Campaign
US Budget Watch 2024 is a project of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget designed to educate the public on the fiscal impact of...
Chartbook: The Fiscal Cost of Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)
The Biden Administration recently finalized a rule to significantly expand student loan Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan. Although the Supreme Court...
Chartbook: The Fiscal Outlook After the Debt Limit Deal
The recently-enacted Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) is the largest deficit reduction package in nearly a dozen years and an important step forward...
Analysis of CBO's June 2023 Long-Term Budget Outlook
Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its June 2023 Long-Term Budget Outlook , projecting that the national debt is on an...
Time to Fix Medicaid Financing Schemes
Medicaid is currently the largest health care program in the United States, covering 93 million lower-income adults and children and accounting for...
Major Challenges Await the Next Administration
US Budget Watch 2024 is a project of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget designed to educate the public on the fiscal impact of...
Appropriations 101
What are appropriations? How does Congress determine the total level of appropriations? How does Congress allocate appropriations? How are...
Q&A: Everything You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling
The federal debt ceiling was raised in December of 2021 by $2.5 trillion to $31.381 trillion , which lasted until January 19, 2023, according to a...
6 Ways to Reduce Health Care Costs
By JOSH GORDON AND DARBIN WOFFORD This journal article originally appeared in the Milken Institute Review . Here’s some old news that, depressingly...