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    Debt Limit and Tax Reform: Both Important, But On Their Own

      Press reports link the coming debt limit debate with the building effort for tax reform. The debt limit and tax reform are both important, but the connection ends there, as it should. Suggestions that some sort of fast-track procedure for tax reform might be the conservative “ask” in exchange … More

    New Red Tape Rising Report: Regulation in Obama’s First Term

    Congress and the White House have been focused for much of this year on the federal budget—rightfully so, given perennial deficits and unsustainable levels of U.S. debt. However, federal spending accounts for only a portion of the burden placed on Americans by the government. Regulations impose huge additional costs, hindering … More

    Morning Bell: 5 Ways the Immigration Bill Is Like Obamacare

    Congress rammed Obamacare through without many Members even reading the bill. Now it’s applying that same frantic, complex, pie-in-the-sky legislating to immigration. The similarities are frightening. 1. Extreme Costs The Government Accountability Office now projects that under the most realistic scenario, Obamacare will add $6.2 trillion to the primary deficit … More

    Temporary Debt Paydown Just a Drop in the Bucket

    Reports that the federal government will put a little bit of money toward the massive federal debt for the first time in six years make for an interesting tidbit, but Washington’s spending and debt problem is only getting bigger. The Wall Street Journal reports, “The Treasury Department said that it … More

    Morning Bell: Where Did Your Tax Dollar Go?

    Americans are waking up today to the worst “case of the Mondays” they’ll have all year: It’s Tax Day. Most Americans dread Tax Day, and for good reasons. Beyond the huge tab Americans pay to the government, the tax code is so complex that it’s difficult to figure out what … More

    National Financial Capability Month: Is President Obama Setting a Good Example?

    Last week, the President declared April 2013 National Financial Capability Month in an effort to encourage Americans to budget responsibly. This is a commendable goal. However, with the President’s budget more than two months late, it’s worth considering how the President is managing the nation’s finances: He grew the national … More

    Morning Bell: A Stark Choice for America’s Budget

    For the first time in four years, the U.S. Congress is engaged in a full-throated budget debate. Take a moment for at least a quiet “Hurrah!” The federal government has at last embarked on its most basic responsibility. This was the price exacted by House Republicans from Senate Democrats for … More

    House vs. Senate Budget: What a Balanced Budget Looks Like (CHART)

    This week, the budget committees of both chambers of Congress released their budgets ahead of President Obama’s budget—marking the first time in 92 years that Congress kicked off the budget process instead of the President. The House budget, under the helm of Chairman Paul Ryan (R–WI), delivers a balanced budget … More

    Debt Drag: Krugman, Konczal Miss the Point

    On their respective blogs, economists Mike Konczal and Paul Krugman criticize the widely cited finding that a nation’s debt above 90 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) slows economic growth. They presume that the limitations of one study by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff mean that its warning can … More

    China Is Not Our Banker

    China has fallen behind Japan as the largest foreign holder of U.S. securities. The Department of the Treasury’s new numbers are good only through June 30, 2012, but it puts Japan at $1.84 trillion and China at $1.59 trillion. There are lots of things to say about this, but one … More