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  • Entitlements, Taxes & Spending

    Replace the culture of entitlement with the culture of mutual responsibility.

    Geithner to Congress: Happy New Year, We’re Maxed Out on Debt

    The government has maxed out its credit card again, mortgaging America’s future with yet more debt. Obama Administration Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, in a letter to Congress the day after Christmas, said, “I am writing to inform you that the statutory debt limit will be reached on December 31, … More

    Morning Bell: 10 Facts on the Fiscal Cliff, Debt, and Spending

    Budget policy in 2012 was characterized by deficit spending, major increases in the national debt, and a heated debate over the “fiscal cliff.” With just days left for President Obama and lawmakers in Congress to avert a major tax hike, sequestration, and other major policy changes, today we bring you … More

    5 New Year’s Resolutions for Congress in 2013

    While many Americans resolve to make 2013 the year they really do slim down, exercise more, and spend less, Congress could afford to commit to a few such resolutions of its own. Call them budget resolutions—something Congress hasn’t had in a while. Here are five suggestions: Cut spending. The federal … More

    GAO Cites Waste in U.S. Food Aid Programs—But Does Not Call for Budget Cuts

    Senator Tom Coburn (R–OK) and others in Congress have repeatedly expressed concerns about “fragmentation, overlap, and duplication” in non-emergency food aid programs administered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). But a study released this month by the United States Government … More

    Chart of the Year: Entitlements and Interest Drive the Fiscal Crisis

    The end of 2012 was marked by lawmakers engaging in a distracting fiscal cliff debate over tax rates when the solution to the real fiscal crisis lies in an entirely different area of the budget. Federal spending on entitlements and interest on the debt drives the federal budget crisis. Together … More

    Morning Bell: ’Twas the Night Before Cliff-mas

    Christmas arrives this year at a time when our nation is on the brink of the fiscal cliff. With time running out for President Obama and Congress to reach an agreement, this Christmas Eve we bring to you 2012 twist on Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem, “A Visit from St. … More

    Congress Limps Out of Town with a Fractured Budget Process

    Happily, the world did not end on December 21, as some interpreters of the Mayan Long-Count Calendar predicted. Earth did not get sucked into the black hole at the center of the galaxy; it did not crash into the planet Nibiru; its core did not heat up, causing earthquakes and … More

    Morning Bell: Conservatives Stand Their Ground

    “When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” President Ronald Reagan’s sound advice rang true yesterday. Grassroots activists and conservative groups, led by Heritage Action for America, derailed a plan to raise taxes on some Americans and small businesses. Lacking votes from his own party, … More

    Departing Depardieu: French Icon Says “Non” to Taxes, Gives D.C. a Lesson

    It’s not often that a Frenchman becomes a hero to conservatives, and extremely rare when he happens to be an actor. But even some Frenchmen have a threshold of pain when it comes to the confiscatory state. In this case it has been Gerard Depardieu, France’s best known thespian, who … More

    Amendment Cuts Pork from Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill

    An example of fiscal responsibility turned up yesterday in an unexpected place: the U.S. Senate. Senator Dan Coats (R–IN) offered an amendment to President Obama’s $60.4 billion Hurricane Sandy relief bill that would be far less costly and much better focused on the storm’s victims. Maybe common sense in budgeting … More