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Papers

View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.

Apr 16, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Why Should We Worry About the National Debt: Questions and Answers

“Why Should We Worry About the National Debt?” describes six important ways that the growing national debt will affect the budget and the economy....
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Apr 16, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Why Should We Worry About the National Debt?

Though the national debt is at a post-war high, the willingness of policymakers to address it seems as if it is at an all-time low. The last two...
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Apr 9, 2019 | Social Security

Letter for the Record on Comprehensive Legislative Proposals on Social Security

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget submitted a letter for the record from CRFB president Maya MacGuineas pertaining to the House Ways and...
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Mar 11, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Analysis of the President’s FY 2020 Budget

The Trump Administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget proposal today, outlining the President’s tax and spending priorities over the...
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Mar 6, 2019 | Other Spending

Written Testimony on Our Nation's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Need for Immediate Action

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget submitted testimony for the record pertaining to the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on "Our...
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Feb 27, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Q&A: Everything You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling

One issue that must be addressed soon is the federal debt ceiling, which will be reinstated on March 2, 2019 at around $22 trillion. At that point,...
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Feb 21, 2019 | Budgets & Projections| Budget Process

Budget Resolution Principles for Fiscal Year 2020

The congressional budget resolution should establish the nation’s priorities, the approach to financing them, and a plan to ensure the nation is on a...
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Feb 20, 2019 | Other Spending

Charting a Responsible Path for Discretionary Spending

With the government now fully funded for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, policymakers must begin the conversation over appropriate funding levels for next...
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Feb 12, 2019 | Other Spending| Budget Process

Q&A: Everything You Should Know About Government Shutdowns

The fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2018, and Congress has passed just five out of 12 appropriations bills setting discretionary spending levels....
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Jan 28, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Analysis of CBO’s January 2019 Budget and Economic Outlook

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its Budget and Economic Outlook today, projecting high and rising deficits and debt over the next...
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Jan 7, 2019 | Other Spending| Budget Process

Q&A: Everything You Should Know About Government Shutdowns

This paper has been updated here. The fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2018, and Congress has passed just five out of 12 appropriations bills...
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Dec 20, 2018 | Budgets & Projections

Maya MacGuineas's Testimony on the Perils of Ignoring Debt

On December 20, 2018, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president Maya MacGuineas testified before the House Financial Services Committee on...
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Dec 6, 2018 | Taxes

Joint Letter: End the Tax Extenders Once And For All

Below is a joint letter to Congressional leadership and the heads of the taxwriting committees that it is time to end the practice of enacting...
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Nov 8, 2018

Highlights from 2018

We celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. To help propel us into this hectic and...
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Nov 2, 2018 | Budget Process

Memo to the JSC: Joint Select Committee Reform Options

With the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (JSC) preparing for a likely mark-up during the week of November 12, we...
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Nov 2, 2018 | Budget Process

Memo to the JSC: Including Debt Targets in the JSC’s Budget Process Reform Package

The statutory deadline for reporting legislation is moving ever closer, and public statements show a notable portion of the Members of the Joint...
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Oct 25, 2018 | Budgets & Projections

The 75-Year Budget Outlook

The federal budget is on an unsustainable long-term trajectory. With federal debt already high and rising, the country’s fiscal outlook in the medium...
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Oct 11, 2018 | Budgets & Projections| Other Spending

Chartbook: Budgeting for the Next Generation

This chartbook corresponds to our project "Budgeting for the Next Generation"   
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Oct 4, 2018 | Other Spending| Budget Process

Q&A: Everything You Should Know About Government Shutdowns

This paper has been updated here. The fiscal year began on September 30, has only passed 5 of 12 appropriations bills setting spending levels. If...
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Sep 28, 2018 | Other Spending| Budget Process

Budgeting for the Next Generation: Options to Improve Budgeting for Children

Children have less ability to meet their needs in the short term and more potential in the long term than other age groups, but federal policy does...
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