Papers
View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.
Risks and Threats from Deficits and Debt
After two decades of uninterrupted borrowing – including three years in which deficits surpassed 10 percent of the economy – the U.S. national debt is...
Appropriations 101
This paper has been updated here. What are appropriations? How does Congress determine the total level of appropriations? How does Congress allocate...
Presentation: Can Carbon Taxes Fund Climate Investments?
On June 13, 2022, Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget gave a presentation to attendees of the 2022 Citizens’ Climate Lobby...
Maya MacGuineas's Senate Testimony on Saving Social Security
On June 9, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president Maya MacGuineas will testify before the Senate Budget Committee on "Saving Social...
Analysis of the 2022 Social Security Trustees' Report
Today, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports on the long-term financial state of the Social Security and Medicare...
Analysis of the 2022 Medicare Trustees' Report
The Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports on the financial state of those programs and their respective trust funds. The...
Presentation: Fiscal Policy in a Time of High Inflation
On May 26, 2022, Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget gave a presentation to the National Economists Club on the possible...
Analysis of CBO's May 2022 Budget and Economic Outlook
Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its May 2022 Budget and Economic Outlook, its first baseline in almost a year. CBO’s new...
Fiscal Considerations for the Future of Telehealth
Telehealth services filled crucial medical care gaps during the COVID-19 pandemic and will appropriately remain an important part of the health care...
Can a Carbon Tax Fund Climate Investments?
Though the Senate will not consider the House-passed Build Back Better Act (BBB), there has been some discussion of reviving the legislation’s climate...
Analysis of the President's FY 2023 Budget
The Biden Administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget proposal today, outlining some of President Biden’s tax and spending priorities...
Q&A: Gross Debt Versus Debt Held by the Public
The Q&A has been updated here. On January 31, 2022, the federal government's gross debt exceeded $30 trillion for the first time. This mark serves as...