Budget

Trump and Lawmakers Dig In for a Shutdown

By Michael Rainey

Neither side in the battle over President Trump’s border wall appears to be budging, raising the odds of a partial government shutdown come Friday night. “Spending discussions have stalled, with no...
3 Key Questions About the Obamacare Court Ruling

By Yuval Rosenberg

The fate of Obamacare may once again wind up before the Supreme Court now that a federal judge in Texas has ruled that the law is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor ruled on...
Trouble Ahead for Space Force

By Michael Rainey

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) is not currently a supporter of President Trump’s plan to create a Space Force as an independent branch of the U.S. military. He did not...
A $300 Million Fighter Jet?

By Michael Rainey

Critics have long decried the staggering cost of the F-35 Lightning II stealth jet, which is projected to cost more than $1.5 trillion over the lifetime of the program. But the fifth-generation...
CBO Offers 121 Ways to Shrink the Deficit

By The Fiscal Times Staff

The Congressional Budget Office has released a 326-page guide that describes dozens of ways the federal government could reduce its large and growing budget deficit. The 121 policy options included...

How Trump Could Escape the Shutdown Trap

By Michael Rainey

Congress left town Thursday for a five-day weekend with no clear plans for how to avoid a partial government shutdown next week. Democrats said they were waiting for Republicans to make a move,...
Trump's Claim That 'Mexico Is Paying for the Wall!' Leaves Experts Stumped

By Michael Rainey

President Trump returned to a favorite claim about who would pay for the border wall in a tweet Thursday: Sen. Chuck Schumer replied with a tweet of his own: "Mr. President: If you say Mexico is...
Boxed In by Trump, GOP Hurtles Toward a Shutdown

By Michael Rainey

House Republicans considered moving forward with a bill that would have given President Trump the $5 billion he has demanded for border wall construction, but it looks like they’re leaving town...
Moody’s Warns of Declining US Fiscal Strength

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Trump’s tax cuts combined with a slowing economy will diminish the United States’ “fiscal strength” over the next 10 years, Moody’s Investor Service said Wednesday. The gradual decline could pressure...
What’s at Stake in the Government Shutdown Fight

By Yuval Rosenberg

Tuesday’s stunningly contentious meeting between President Trump and Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer did nothing to dissipate the uncertainty over a partial government shutdown at...

Why 35 States’ Financial Report Cards Fall Short

By Sheila Weinberg

When companies invite an outside auditor to review their records, it’s generally considered a reassuring signal to lenders and investors. There’s nothing like a stamp of approval from a trusted third...
Your Tax Dollars at Work: An Agency ‘Neutered Through Neglect’

By Yuval Rosenberg

The Associated Press’ Juliet Linderman tells the story of Mark Robbins and the Merit Systems Protection Board, “a quasi-judicial federal body designed to determine whether civil servants have been...
Is Trump Serious About Tackling the Deficit? Obviously Not

By Yuval Rosenberg

President Trump is demanding that his advisers come up with a plan to reduce the deficit, The Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey and Damian Paletta report . Oh, and President Trump is also pushing new...
Puerto Rico Facing Steep Charges from FEMA Contractors

By Michael Rainey

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will spend $1.2 billion to repair as many as 120,000 homes damaged by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, but more than 60 percent of that money will be claimed by...
How Much Climate Change Will Cost the US Economy

By Michael Rainey

The White House released the second volume of the “Fourth National Climate Assessment” last Friday, on a day when much of the country was out shopping or home recovering from the Thanksgiving holiday...