Budget Battles
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House Votes to Dodge Shutdown, Ditching Trump Demand
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Trump-Approved Spending Plan Goes Down in Flames
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Trump Blows Up Johnson’s Bipartisan Spending Deal
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Republicans Fume Over ‘Dumpster Fire’ Funding Bill
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Congress Struggles to Reach Deal to Avert Government Shutdown
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GOP Hardliners Say Border Bill Should Come Before Tax Cuts
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Senate Tees Up Vote on a Social Security Boost for Millions
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Penn Economists Propose Reforms to Cut Debt Without Economic Damage
Economists at the Penn Wharton Budget Model have constructed a package of 13 major tax and spending reforms that they say can grow the U.S. economy while also reducing federal debt and enhancing the...
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Medicaid Enrollment Drops 7.5%, Expected to Fall Further
By Michael RaineyThe Medicaid rolls declined by 7.5% in fiscal year 2024, the nonpartisan policy research group KFF reported this week in its annual survey of state Medicaid directors. The decline is expected to...
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Trump Proposals Could Lead to a 33% Cut in Social Security Benefits
By Michael RaineySocial Security will be forced to cut benefits by an estimated 23% in 10 years if Congress fails to prop up the program’s trust funds before then, but a new analysis from a budget watchdog group...
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Social Security Benefits to Rise 2.5% in 2025
By The Fiscal Times StaffSocial Security recipients will receive a 2.5% cost of living adjustment in 2025, the Social Security Administration announced Thursday. It’s the smallest increase in four years, reflecting the...
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Trump Economic Plans Would Cost More Than $4 Trillion: Analysis
By Michael RaineyAn array of tax and spending proposals put forth by former President Donald Trump would raise the federal budget deficit by more than $4 trillion over the next 10 years, according to an analysis by...
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Trump’s Social Security Tax Plan Would Cost $1.5 Trillion: Analysis
By Michael RaineyFormer President Donald Trump suggested this week that he wants to repeal the income tax on Social Security benefits. “SENIORS SHOULD NOT PAY TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY!” he posted on his social media...
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Trump’s Republican Platform Drops Any Mention of National Debt
Ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week, the GOP on Monday published its 2024 platform — a 16-page outline of the party’s policy positions for a second Trump term. The...
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Social Security, Medicare Get Modest Boost From Strong Economy
By Michael RaineySolid economic growth in the wake of the pandemic has strengthened some of the nation’s leading social safety net programs, as robust employment increases the flow of payments into the Social...
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BlackRock CEO Warns of a Retirement Crisis
Larry Fink, the billionaire chairman and CEO of investing giant BlackRock, warns in a newly published annual letter to shareholders that it’s time to rethink retirement savings in aging countries...
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House Republican Caucus Calls for Raising the Social Security Retirement Age
By Michael RaineyThe Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House, released on Wednesday a 2025 budget proposal that would slash healthcare spending, raise the Social Security retirement...
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Biden Proposes a $7.3 Trillion Budget for 2025
President Biden on Monday proposed a $7.3 trillion budget for fiscal year 2025 that seeks to lower the costs of prescription drugs, child care and housing while also cutting the deficit by $3...
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House Budget Committee Approves Bill to Create Bipartisan Fiscal Commission
The House Budget Committee on Thursday approved a landmark bill to create a bipartisan fiscal commission that would make recommendations on how to address the rising national debt. The commission has...
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Romney and Manchin Call for Commission to Stabilize US Debt
By Michael RaineySens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Joe Manchin of West Virginia introduced a bill Thursday that would create a commission tasked with stabilizing the national debt. Warning that the nation’s finances are...
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US Retirement System Gets a C+
By Michael RaineyWith a mix of mandatory public and private pension programs, the Netherlands has the world’s best retirement system, according to a new ranking from the consulting firm Mercer. The European nation...
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Rising Income Inequality Hurts Social Security, Expert Says
By Michael RaineySocial Security faces a crisis in 2034, when its main trust fund is projected to become insolvent, potentially resulting in significant cuts in benefits. Simple demographics play a major role in the...