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.
Restoring Highway Solvency by Increasing Current Revenue
Without a fix soon, the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) will run out of money this summer, slowing down infrastructure projects across the nation. Our recent...
Senate Medicare Bill Would Undermine Deficit Reduction Efforts
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) indicated his plans to bring up the Medicare Protection Act for a vote on the Senate floor. Though...
CRFB to Conferees: Care for Veterans but be Fiscally Responsible
Both the House and Senate have passed bills reforming the VA, and a conference committee must now meet to hammer out differences between the two bills...
Alternatives for Measuring the Federal Deficit
One of the wonkier fiscal debates that arises from time to time concerns the accounting method used to measure the size of the budget deficit. This...
Murphy-Corker: A Responsible Solution for Highways and an Irresponsible One for Tax Extenders
Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Bob Corker (R-TN) announced a proposal this week to close the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) shortfall by increasing the...
Trust or Bust: Fixing the Highway Trust Fund
Update: After publication we wrote a series of blogs providing options for offsets or to bring spending and revenue in line. As well in May 2015 we...
CBO Finds House VA Bill Could Cost More, Does Cost Less Than Senate Bill
The Congressional Budget Office today released a preliminary analysis of several sections of the House VA reform bill. Like the Senate bill that we...
Senators Begich and Murray Propose Social Security Benefit Enhancements
Last week, Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) and Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced legislation that would make targeted increases...
Paying for A Fix to the VA Health System
Now that both chambers of Congress have passed bills aimed at improving the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, they will need...
Senate Vets Bill Could Create New $500 Billion Entitlement Program
The Senate voted 93-3 yesterday on new legislation to expand veterans' benefits by allowing beneficiaries to seek out private (non-VA) health care...
House Keeps Increasing Deficits With Extenders
The House passed today two bills permanently reinstating three tax provisions that expired at the end of 2013. Extending these provisions would cost...
The IMF Looks at Budget Institutions in G-20 Countries
The International Monetary Fund recently published a study on budget institutions in G-20 countries. The study takes stock of these countries'...