Papers

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

Most popular choices in the CRFB Debt Fixer federal budget tool

Sep 18, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Americans Show They Can Make Tough Federal Budget Decisions and Reduce National Debt

The national debt currently is the highest it has been as a share of the economy since just after World War II, and it is rising rapidly. This high...

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Sep 12, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

After the 2020 Election, Fiscal Challenges Await

The winner of the 2020 presidential election will begin his or her term facing a daunting fiscal situation. High deficits and debt, depleting trust...

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Aug 27, 2019 | Economics

Break Glass Here: A Responsible Plan to Combat the Next Recession

The United States is in the midst of one of the longest periods of sustained economic growth in its history, but there are signs that this prolonged...

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Aug 21, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Analysis of CBO’s Updated Budget and Economic Outlook (August 2019)

Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated Budget and Economic Outlook, showing that the national debt is on an unsustainable...

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Aug 9, 2019 | Health Care

Letter to Finance Committee: Thank You For Working to Reduce Health Costs

Below is a letter sent today from Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president Maya MacGuineas to leaders of the Senate Finance...

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Jul 29, 2019 | Health Care| Taxes

Letter: Nearly 100 Experts Warn Against Cadillac Tax Repeal

A group of nearly 100 distinguished health and economic policy experts from across the ideological spectrum joined together to warn the Senate...

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Jun 25, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

CBO's 2019 Long-Term Budget Outlook

Today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its Long-Term Budget Outlook, again confirming the budget’s unsustainable long-term trajectory...

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Jun 20, 2019 | Other Spending

A Plan to Raise the Caps Without Breaking the Bank

Due to the large temporary increase in discretionary spending levels for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, spending is...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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May 1, 2019 | Budgets & Projections

Letter to Congress to Abide By PAYGO

Below is a letter from Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president Maya MacGuineas to all Members of Congress asking them to offset the...

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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...

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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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