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  • Entitlements, Taxes & Spending

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

    It’s Not Getting Better: GDP Grows at a Sluggish 1.7 Percent Rate

    This morning’s update from the Department of Commerce on economic activity in the second quarter shows that the economy grew at an anemic 1.7 percent annual rate. This follows a nearly equally weak first quarter growth rate of 2.0 percent. How weak is this? In terms of economic output, the … More

    Morning Bell: Top 3 Small Business Struggles

    Small businesses are getting a lot of focus from politicians, because they are a key engine of job creation—which has stalled in the U.S. economy. A Republican National Convention theme of “We Built It” continued the political debate over the economy yesterday. A survey by the National Federation of Independent … More

    Chart of the Week: Tax Revenues Devoured by Entitlements

    The looming unsustainability of the big three entitlement spending programs—Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security—is not inevitable, but in order to avoid the catastrophic effects of consuming every bit of tax revenue in just one generation, reform is a necessity. Take a look at Medicare, the largest portion of the projected … More

    Social Security Pays Benefits to Millionaires’ Children

    Many aspects of Social Security date back to 1939 and reflect an America that is long gone. One of these pays Social Security benefits to minor children—even if the parents are millionaires. Case in point: the Social Security checks sent to the three younger children of Representative Pete Stark (D–CA). … More

    CBO Appears Immune to Embarrassment

    The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just released its latest concocted quarterly estimate on President Obama’s failed stimulus. CBO’s findings are as preposterous as its 11 previous studies of the stimulus, discussed here, here, and here. The story doesn’t change, because CBO’s faulty analysis doesn’t change. Each time CBO does an … More

    Morning Bell: Another Recession Is Imminent

    Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that without a doubt, America will have a fresh recession next year unless Congress and the President prevent it. We are facing the largest tax increase in history—Taxmageddon, scheduled to take effect January 1—and what experts are calling a “fiscal cliff” of sharp … More

    Obamacare Loses Again in Deficit Reduction Debate

    Niall Ferguson poked a hornet’s nest Sunday with his Newsweek cover story, in large part for its claim that Obamacare would increase the budget deficit. “Anyone who actually read, or even skimmed, the CBO [Congressional Budget Office] report knows that it found that [Obamacare] would reduce, not increase, the deficit,” … More

    CBO Warns: President Obama and Congress Risk Triggering Another Recession

    About 1.6 million American jobs hang in the balance. That is the clear implication of analysis contained in the annual budget update by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Along with all manner of dire and dreary budget data reflecting President Obama’s budget and economic policies to date, CBO provides its … More

    USDA Says Don’t Eat Meat, and Then Buys Meat

    When does the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) say you should eat meat? It depends on the day. On July 23, the agency’s interoffice newsletter, Greening Headquarters Update, encouraged employees to participate in the “Meatless Monday” initiative that was supposed to help the environment. Three weeks later, on August 13, … More

    Huntsville Defense Conference: Concerns over the Budget and Military Readiness

    This year, The Heritage Foundation participates again in the 15th annual Space and Missile Defense Conference in Huntsville, Alabama. After the first official day, it is clear that many of the participants from the defense industry, as well as private citizens, share concerns about impacts of sequestration, which would slash … More