Budgeting for the Next Generation: A New Series on Children and the Federal Budget
The federal budget is arguably the most comprehensive representation of the federal government’s priorities. Policymakers use the budget to determine...
Papers
View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.
Gimmicks to Look Out For in a Spending Deal
With Congress moving toward funding the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2018, pressure is mounting to increase discretionary spending....
Dec 12, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
The Year-End Debt Dilemma
As the year comes to a close, lawmakers have a number of legislative deadlines and a variety of issues they need or want to address – many of which...
Can Tax Reform Generate 0.4% Additional Growth?
Well-crafted tax reform would improve economic growth. While pro-growth tax reform can generate some revenue to the Treasury from the added growth,...
Chartbook: Dynamic Scoring and Tax Reform
This presentation covers that
tax cuts don't pay for themselves,
smart tax reform can generate $300 billion to $400 billion of dynamic revenues (...
Oct 31, 2017 | Taxes
Five Gimmicks That May Hide the True Costs of Tax Reform
The budget resolution recently passed by Congress sets the stage for fast-track tax reform legislation (a process known as reconciliation) that...
Oct 18, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
The FY 2018 Senate Budget and Budget Gimmicks
Note: An amendment was adopted during floor consideration that effects budget gimmicks in the House of Representatives. You can read more on that...
A Mini-Bargain to Improve the Budget: An Update
Note: This paper is an update from our August 2017 piece “A Mini-Bargain to Improve the Budget.” It adds a new section on how to pay for disaster...
Oct 4, 2017 | Taxes
Tax Cuts Don't Pay For Themselves
While policymakers are gearing up to address tax reform this fall, some have advocated for abandoning true reform and instead focusing solely on tax...
Sep 11, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
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...
Sep 5, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
Q&A: Everything You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling
This Q&A has been updated. See here for the latest version.
One issue that must be addressed this month is the federal debt...
Aug 30, 2017 | Taxes
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...
Aug 10, 2017 | Budget Process
Updated Appropriations 101
What are appropriations?
Appropriations are annual decisions made by Congress about how the federal government spends some of its money. In general...
Aug 9, 2017 | Budget Process
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...
Aug 4, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
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...
Aug 3, 2017
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...
Jul 17, 2017 | Taxes
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...
Jul 13, 2017 | Social Security
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...
Jul 13, 2017 | Budgets & Projections
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...
