Jun 7, 2019 | Budget Process
Appropriations 101
What are appropriations?
How does Congress determine the total level of appropriations?
How does Congress allocate appropriations?
How are...
Papers
View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.
May 14, 2019 | Budget Process
Kent Conrad's Testimony on the Broken Budget Process
On May 14, 2019, former Senate Budget Committee Chairman and Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget board member Kent Conrad (D-ND) testified...
May 13, 2019 | Health Care
Analysis of the 2019 Medicare Trustees' Report
The Medicare Trustees have released their 2019 report, which makes projections for Medicare spending and revenue for the next 75 years. The Trustees...
May 9, 2019 | Budgets & Projections
CBO's Analysis of the President's FY 2020 Budget
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its estimate of the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget using its own assumptions to evaluate the...
May 6, 2019 | Taxes
Joint Letter: Don't Revive the Expired Tax Extenders
Below is a joint letter sent today to Congressional leadership and the heads of the taxwriting committees urging them against reviving the...
May 1, 2019 | Budgets & Projections
Letter to Congress to Abide By PAYGO
Below is a letter from CRFB President Maya MacGuineas to all Members of Congress asking them to offset the costs of all new initiatives....
Apr 22, 2019 | Social Security
Analysis of the 2019 Social Security Trustees’ Report
The Social Security Trustees released their annual report today, continuing to show that the Social Security program must address its funding...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
