Overview for budget

How the GOP Could Win by Cutting Defense

When they meet at the White House Tuesday the GOP may need to concede on defense spending to win cuts in entitlements. But is the trade-off worth it? When they meet at the White House Tuesday , Some Democrats will ask for military spending cuts as part of any budget deal while some Republicans …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday April 5, 2011

Ryan's 2012 Budget: Radical or Realistic?

Tuesday, Paul Ryan will formally present the Republican budget for Fiscal Year 2012. Here's a primer on the new budget proposals biggest question marks. Tuesday, Paul Ryan will formally present the Republican budget for Fiscal Year 2012 at noon. Frum Forum will liveblog the presentation of the …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday April 5, 2011

Why Centrists Can Still Win the Budget Fight

The Tea Party movement has proven it can't have a serious discussion over how to solve the budget crisis. This leaves space for centrists to take the lead. Please, stop. Whether it is Bruce Bartlett admonishing Republican Senators who have co-sponsored the Balanced Budget Amendment or Rep. …

Written by Steve Bell on Saturday April 2, 2011

Are the GOP's Budget Theatrics Unconstitutional?

The House GOP thinks it has a solution to the current budget crisis, but in addition to being unlikely to pass, is their solution also unconstitutional? The theatrics continue on the Hill this afternoon as the House votes on the ‘Government Shutdown Prevention Act’. The Act would automatically …

Written by Tim Mak on Friday April 1, 2011

Ryan Right to Punt on Social Security Reform

A new budget proposal from Paul Ryan will make Medicare and Medicaid reforms while leaving Social Security more-or-less untouched. Ryan's got the right priorities. A new budget proposal from Rep. Paul Ryan will make Medicare and Medicaid changes while leaving Social Security more-or-less …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday March 31, 2011

The New Stealth Fighter Canada Doesn't Need

With Canada’s election campaign underway, the parties are fighting over the cost of new F-35 fighter-bombers. But their are bigger problems than just the price tag. Now that Canada’s federal election campaign is underway, it’s inevitable the issue of new F-35 stealth fighter-bombers will become …

Written by Peter Worthington on Thursday March 31, 2011

Why the Tea Party's Clout Fizzled in Washington

The tea party activists who helped score the GOP's 2010 midterm win are learning the hard way that electoral success doesn't always translate to policy success. A recent headline , "Tea Party Leverage Fading in Spending Talks," reminds me of the not-always-understood difficulty of transforming …

Written by Andrew Gelman on Thursday March 31, 2011

Why Obama Will Win the Shutdown

Is there's another government shutdown, there's one thing you can count on: the White House will win the public relations battle. Howard Dean is liberal, and perhaps even a tad crazy. Stupid, though, he is not. Former Gov. Dean joined several other prominent Democrats Tuesday at the “National …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Wednesday March 30, 2011

Boehner Faces GOP Budget Revolt

Boehner's fight to keep his caucus unified in the spending fight just got a lot harder: Tuesday, fiscal hawks in the House announced plans to draft a rival 2012 budget proposal. Today’s news that conservatives in the House Republican Study Committee will draft their own alternative Fiscal Year …

Written by Steve Bell on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Boehner's Budget Battle Is Just Beginning

The Fiscal Year 2011 budget fight is about to morph into a fiscal battle over the 2012 budget and the present $14.3 trillion federal debt ceiling. As predicted, the Fiscal Year 2011 budget fight seems very likely to morph into a general fiscal battle that includes the 2012 budget and a fight …

Written by Steve Bell on Friday March 25, 2011

GOP Govt Transparency Bill Flunks Reality Test

GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold's bill to force federal agencies to post their expenditures every two weeks on the web is a neat idea, and completely unworkable. Before he sat on the Supreme Court, Louis Brandeis penned a collection of essays that was published as a book called Other People’s Money . …

Written by Zac Morgan on Friday March 25, 2011

Europe's Newest Budget Bust

Following the collapse of its government Wednesday, Portugal seems almost certain to become the third EU country to accept an EU-financed bailout. Following the collapse of its government Wednesday and its parliament’s refusal to accept a budget, Portugal seems almost certain to become the third …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Friday March 25, 2011

New G.I. Bill Chops Student Vet Benefits

Congress’ new G.I. bill seems more concerned with budget balancing than with actually helping our veterans. On August 1st, an update to the G.I. Bill will come into effect. Its most important provision though will do more to satisfy Congress’ sudden concern for budgetary restraint than actually …

Written by Armin Rosen on Thursday March 24, 2011

GOP's 2012 Budget: Dead on Arrival?

Anti-deficit stalwart, Rep. Paul Ryan, has pledged to start the markup of the FY2012 budget in early April. The plan should pass the House, but will Senate Dems back it? Apparently old-fashioned snail mail has made a comeback in the United States Senate. Two sets of letters roiled the fiscal …

Written by Steve Bell on Monday March 21, 2011

Easy Budget Cuts the GOP Forgot

Eventually, Congress will need to spend serious political capital to make tough budget cuts. But for now, there are plenty of easy cuts the House has overlooked. As Congress cuts the federal budget, attention has focused on truly easy cuts—programs that are clearly outdated or needless but …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Friday March 18, 2011

Cut Medicare for the Richer, Not the Younger

Paul Ryan's budget ideas make a lot of sense. But there's one problem: why load more burdens on those under 40? Paul Ryan's advance previews of his budget ideas make a lot of sense. But they are missing one important piece. Here's the Wisconsin Congressman, head of the House Budget …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday March 16, 2011

Will GOP Back Benefit Cuts on Military Retirees?

State governors are reacting to deficits by cutting public employee benefits. Now similar cutbacks are being proposed at the federal level for military retirees. The teachers must be wishing they wore uniforms. Governors across the country are reacting to deficits by cutting - or trying to cut …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday March 15, 2011

Support Builds for Next Gen Fighter

Obama and the GOP may be at odds over the budget, but on one item -- the F-35 fighter -- there is a growing bipartisan consensus to back the project. America’s in an economic and budgetary crisis and Republicans in the House are being pressured to look more closely at cutting defense spending. On …

Written by Elise Cooper on Monday March 14, 2011

Why NPR's Better Off Without Federal Funds

NPR gets 2% of their direct funding from the federal government. Is that worth the media headlines and political battles? I think it's safe to say that National Public Radio has had a rough week recently. Support for NPR funding during the current budget cycle has become a proxy for other …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Sunday March 13, 2011

Senate Dems Rebel on Spending Cuts

The real surprise in Wednesday's Senate spending bill votes was the total failure of Harry Reid to keep his own caucus in line. The failure of both Democratic and Republican spending cut proposals in the Senate wasn't much of a surprise. The Republican proposal--a huge exercise in chutzpa that …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday March 10, 2011