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.

Budget Concepts Do Matter
Budgeteers have long argued that baselines matter. You have to know where you are going before you decide where you should be. We use baselines as...

Senate Faces Key Fiscal Votes This Week
The Senate will vote this week on key fiscal measures as it attempts to increase the nation’s debt ceiling. The debt limit is expected to be reached...

Five More FDIC Bank Closings
On Friday evening, the FDIC reported that it has taken over an additional five banks ( Columbia River Bank, Evergreen Bank, Charter Bank, Bank of...

TPC Takes the Tax Challenge with Income Tax Rates
We recently invited folks to take the spending challenge and show how they would close the budget gap without raising taxes (or alternatively, take...

President Obama Voices Support for Deficit Commission
Here is the statement: The serious fiscal situation that our country faces reflects not only the severe economic downturn we inherited, but also years...

Stiglitz, Stimulus, the Financial Sector and the Genie
Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz stopped by New America this week to discuss his new book "Freefall", about our economic and financial crisis. For the...

The Goldilocks Fiscal Goal: 60%?
Picking a “fiscal goal” would be a great way to get the discussion started about what policies to enact to close the budget gap. It allows...

Live Tweeting the Debate on the Federal Debt
Update: The debate between Maya MacGuineas and Brad Delong is about to begin. See the live tweets here: https://twitter.com/BudgetHawks Maya...

Develop Debt Reduction Plan Now, MacGuineas, Others Tell Congress
The nation's soaring federal debt can no longer be ignored and Congress and the president must develop comprehensive plans to avoid a looming fiscal...

Time to Bring Back Caps
As the Senate continues its consideration of the debt ceiling today, it will consider at least three important budgetary amendments - a deficit...

WH, Congressmen Hold Important Talks on Fiscal Commission and PAYGO
Senior congressional Democrats late Tuesday met with the White House to attempt to hammer out a deal that would create a fiscal commission and a...

CRFB’s new “Announcement Effect Club” Is Popular
Roll out the red carpet and velvet rope, CRFB’s new list of prominent economists, organizations, and opinion leaders that have joined us in suggesting...