• The Heritage Network
    • Resize:
    • A
    • A
    • A
  • Donate
  • deficits

    Tackling Deficits: The Chicago Way, and the Other Way

    While it’s being reported that every state (except Florida) had snow on the ground this week, 46 states are digging out of another kind of mess — a combined deficit of at least $127 billion. Democratic and Republican state leaders alike are grappling with structural budget deficits, many of whom … More

    Republican Earmarkers Already Enabling Higher Government Spending

    After yesterday’s Senate vote against an earmark ban, we again made the case that the damage earmarks do to our nation’s deficits go far beyond the nominal amounts spent on the earmarks themselves. The problem is that the votes earmarks secure from the sponsoring legislators then allow for ever higher … More

    The Fiscal Commission’s Moment of Truth

    The report of the President’s Fiscal Commission is due today. As a stalemate appears increasingly likely, what appears to be an updated “chairman’s mark” to guide the commission’s discussions over the next several days was released. Like its predecessor, the report, puzzlingly titled “The Moment of Truth” (as if this … More

    Time’s up for the President’s Deficit Commission

    Today marks the deadline for the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to vote on a proposal to reduce the federal deficit and put runaway entitlement spending on a sustainable path. From the current looks of things, it is unlikely that the labors of the bipartisan commission will … More

    One More Step toward the Right Medicare and Medicaid Reforms

    The President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is not set to release its final recommendations on how best to tackle deficit spending and entitlement reform until December 1. However, several of its members have already gone public with proposals to reduce runaway spending and put Medicare and Medicaid, … More

    Fighting Social Security Reform Is the Worst Thing Lawmakers Can Do for Seniors

    When the next Congress arrives in Washington, Members will need to get to work to reduce runaway government spending. One area that has been identified as a good place to start—especially as the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform prepares to give its recommendations on deficit reduction next month—is … More

    Setting the Record Straight: Spending Cuts

    The Heritage Foundation favors far-reaching reforms of our Federal Government’s spending, including with respect to entitlements. The ever-growing, out-of-control entitlement culture fosters dependency instead of self-reliance.  At the same time, the Federal Government takes and spends an ever-growing portion of the wealth of this Nation, and spends the money of … More

    Bigger Government and More Spending? America Isn’t Buying It

    Still in the midst of a recession, the United States finds itself at a crossroads regarding which path will lead to economic growth and job creation. There are two choices: further government involvement and a stronger role for Washington—accompanied by higher taxes and heavier regulation—or the path of less government, … More

    Podcast: Your Tax Dollars and Congress’ Spending Spree

    Runaway government spending has been a vocal concern of the burgeoning Tea Party movement since its inception. But many average voters don’t know a lot about the federal budget and how it works, outside of the fact that it’s out of control. In this week’s Heritage in Focus podcast, Brian … More

    Social Security in the Red

    In February, we reported that in 2010, Social Security would start running deficits in 2010.  Well, Social Security deficits have officially arrived, as analyst Michael Barone lays out in the Washington Examiner: Social Security tax receipts for the first half of 2010: $346.9 billion; Social Security benefits payments for the … More