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.
The Financial Report of the US Government
Late in December, the Treasury Department released its annual Financial Report of the United States Government. The release date is fitting, since it...
Our Favorite 11 Blogs of 2011
So you thought all of the 2011 retrospectives were done now that we're in the new year? Well, we have one more to contribute. The first part of our...
Defense Cuts in the Flesh
According to today's New York Times, a report from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will be revealed this week on how the Pentagon will meet its...
Congress Approves Two-Month Payroll Tax Holiday and Other Extensions
Congress fittingly capped a tumultuous 2011 by snuffing out yet another fiscal showdown while managing to kick the can of tougher decisions down the...
The Bottom Line Takes a Look Back at 2011
What a year it's been! 2011 certainly had plenty of budget and fiscal policy developments that kept all of us at CRFB pretty busy. We wish that meant...
Fitch Comments on U.S. Fiscal Situation
Once again, ratings agencies are warning the United States that our current fiscal outlook is not sustainable and we risk further downgrades unless we...
Interesting Charts Of the Year
With the year wrapping up, our friends Ezra Klein over at the Washington Post and Derek Thompson at The Atlantic asked a variety of noted economists...
Where is the Fiscal Policy Discussion in the Election Debate?
According to a recent AP-GfK Poll, 76 percent of Americans think that the federal budget deficit is an extremely or very important issue, yet you...
Line Items: Brinking Game Edition
Brink Again – Washington’s favorite game played out again last week as lawmakers once more waited until the last minute to avert a government shutdown...
New York Times Lays Out Medicare Options
In response to the release of the Ryan-Wyden premium support plan last week, The New York Times spelled out options for reducing Medicare spending...
A Reversal for TARP
As the federal government has been slowly winding down much of its commitment in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the prevailing trend for...
Representatives Joining Together to Resist Efforts to Turn Off the Sequester Absent Debt Reduction Agreement
Update 12/16: Representatives Welch, Miller, Van Hollen, Cleaver, and Himes formally released the letter yesterday to President Obama with over 90...