Issue Briefs

Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby told a House subcommittee last week that switching to a two-year budget cycle would make time for better congressional oversight, improve long-term planning and help lawmakers focus on broad fiscal reforms.The testimony came…

President Obama and Congress may have put fiscal sustainability on the back burner, but the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has not. In its annual update of the federal government’s long-term fiscal outlook, released last week, GAO warns: (more…)

Although Federal Reserve officials generally have their hands full with monetary policy, congressional mistakes and miscalculations on the federal budget have led outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to repeatedly offer suggestions on fiscal policy that lawmakers would do well…

In a change of pace from its usual practice, Congress is allowing a group of temporary tax provisions known as “extenders” to expire at the end of the year.The extenders, like other tax expenditures, are federal subsidies that encourage certain…

Given the acrimonious political environment and the wide discrepancy between the House and Senate budgets, the conference committee now scheduled to report by Dec.13 begins its work with low expectations. However, if the committee approaches its task with flexibility and…

In their latest updates on Social Security and Medicare, the trustees for the programs include data that show the growing strain they will put on the rest of the federal budget unless Washington can agree on a long-term fiscal sustainability…

The hope for "regular order" on a budget resolution stalled this week as unfortunate partisan bickering continued over whether lawmakers should proceed with a House and Senate conference committee. Republicans on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Harry…

I. Introduction The annual Budget and Economic Outlook released on Feb. 5 by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) contained some good news. The deficit is coming down. The debt is relatively stable over the coming 10 years. Revenues are going…