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.
Is the Number of Workers per Social Security Retiree Declining?
In the so-called "undercard" debate, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated: “In 1950, there were 16 workers for every retiree. How many are there today...
Did We Cut Taxes When We Last Balanced the Budget?
Governor John Kasich (R-OH), who our previous Fiscal FactChecker pointed out was a key player in the 1997 balanced budget agreement, claimed last...
Ways & Means Committee Keeps Cutting Taxes, Adding to Debt
The House Ways & Means Committee today approved tax and health breaks costing nearly $420 billion over ten years, or almost $520 billion with interest...
Auerbach-Gale Projections Also Show Unsustainable Debt Picture
Alan Auerbach and William Gale at the Tax Policy Center recently released their frequently-updated budget projections. Their new outlook is familiar...
How to Get This Year's Budget Process Back on Track
On October 1, lawmakers will have to pass new appropriations or a continuing resolution, or the government will shut down for the second time in two...
Governor Bush Releases Tax Reform Plan
Presidential candidate Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL) announced his tax reform plan to trim deductions and lower tax rates yesterday. It is one part of his...
Can Tax Reform Substantially Accelerate Economic Growth?
Since the 2016 Presidential campaign began, a number of candidates have touted tax reform – either overhauling or replacing the current income tax –...
NYT's Tritch Misses the Mark on SSDI Funding Options
The New York Times Editorial Board's Teresa Tritch posted a piece last week on short-term solutions to avert next year's depletion of the Social...
Washington Post Defends the Cadillac Tax
The Washington Post published an editorial Sunday defending the “Cadillac tax,” a part of the Affordable Care Act, in the face of a legislative effort...
Maya MacGuineas: Protecting the Legacy of Social Security for Future Generations
Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, wrote a guest post for the Social Security Administration's blog. It is...
Congress Might Gladly Pay You in 2022 for Sequester Relief Today
A recent press report (paywall) indicates that Republicans may be looking to pay for increased defense spending next year by promising defense cuts...
Most of Deficit's Decline Because Tax Breaks Aren't Included
Much of the press coverage of the updated projections issued by the Congressional Budget Office last week focused on the fact that the deficit would...