Papers
View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.
ARCHIVE: Q&A: Gross Debt Versus Debt Held by the Public
On September 8, the federal government's gross debt exceeded $20 trillion for the first time. This mark serves as an important reminder of the nation...
Q&A: Everything You Should Know About Government Shutdowns
We have updated this document. The most recent version is available here. It’s déjà vu all over again, again – Congress seems to be waiting until the...
Q&A: Everything You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling - Sep 2017
This Q&A has been updated. See here for the latest version. One issue that must be addressed this month is the federal debt ceiling, which was...
Tax Reform Should Not Add to the Debt – Here's 5 Reasons Why
As lawmakers return from recess and move onto the fall's agenda, tax reform remains the top priority for both Congress and the Administration. The tax...
Updated Appropriations 101
Note: We have updated this paper, please see the latest Appropriations 101. What are appropriations? Appropriations are annual decisions made by...
Letter to Chairman Enzi Encouraging A Current Law Baseline
Below is a letter from CRFB to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) encouraging the committee to use a current law baseline. We...
The FY 2018 House Budget and Budget Gimmicks
The House Budget Committee recently passed a Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget resolution that proposes a path to a balanced budget after ten years...
A Mini-Bargain to Improve the Budget
A new version of this paper exists that was updated to include savings for disaster relief. The national debt is currently at its highest share of the...
Response to Chairman Hatch’s Call for Feedback on Tax Reform
Below is a statement from CRFB submitted to the Senate Finance Committee in response to Chairman Orrin Hatch's request for feedback on potential tax...
Analysis of the 2017 Social Security Trustees Report
The Social Security and Medicare Trustees today released their annual reports on the financial status of the two programs. The projections show that...
CBO’s Analysis of the President’s FY 2018 Budget
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its estimate of the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget, using its own assumptions to evaluate the...
Analysis of CBO’s Updated Budget and Economic Outlook (June 2017)
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released updated budget and economic projections today, continuing to show an unsustainable picture of debt over...