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  • Entitlements, Taxes & Spending

    Obama Ducks Responsibility for Washington’s Spending Binge

    In a recent “60 Minutes” interview, host Steve Kroft primed President Obama with this statement: “Most Americans think we’re spending too much money.” To which Obama uttered a contemplative “Mm-hm.” An understatement, indeed. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that federal spending will reach $3.56 trillion, or about 23 percent … More

    Chart of the Week: 70% of Spending Goes to Dependence Programs

    Federal spending concentrated on the 47 dependence-creating government programs that include housing, farm subsidies, and entitlements now comprises more than 70.5 percent of total federal expenditures as of 2010, according to Heritage’s Index of Dependence on Government. This represents the fourth year in a row that the Index of Dependence … More

    Socialist Austerity in France

    Francois Hollande won election to the French presidency by promising that more government spending would lead to quick economic growth. He sharply criticized the “austerity”—i.e., sudden spending cuts—proposed by his opponent. A few months later, Hollande has come full circle. In addition to a tax increase that has wealthy French … More

    Morning Bell: Government Dependency Rises As Number of Taxpayers Declines

    The leak of a video featuring former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) has sparked debate about government dependency and the number of people in the United States who do not pay federal income tax. In the video, Romney refers to “47 percent” of Americans and says that they are “dependent upon … More

    Dependence on Government vs. the American Dream

    Mother Jones has opened a broad debate about the role of government in our society. In a clandestine tape recorded in May and obtained by the magazine, former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) remarked that 47 percent of taxpayers pay no federal income taxes. He notes, among other things, the increase … More

    Chart of the Week: Sequestration Reduces Defense as Budget Priority

    The Obama Administration released its sequestration report more than a week late, but other than a 9.4 percent reduction in discretionary national defense funding, there are few other details, according to The Heritage Foundation’s Brian Slattery. He describes President Obama’s own budget request as one that would “dramatically shrink” the … More

    Chart of the Week: Medicare Spending Is Main Cause of Runaway Deficits

    Medicare is getting quite a bit of attention lately. And rightly so. Out-of-control entitlement spending contributes directly to long-term federal deficits, which will accelerate over the course of the next few decades, according to Heritage’s Federal Budget in Pictures and figures provided by the Congressional Budget Office. By 2030, Medicare … More

    Heritage Solutions Advance in the Public Debate

    As the public debate over America’s future unfolds, The Heritage Foundation continues to advocate conservative solutions for America. A comparison of the Heritage solutions with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s nationally televised address on August 31, 2012, illustrates the extent to which the Heritage ideas have penetrated the public debate. … More

    Heritage Foundation “Cut Government Spending” Goal Gains Ground

    As the public debate swirls over whether and how to limit the size and cost of the federal government, The Heritage Foundation’s longstanding efforts to shrink the government gain ground. In May 2010, Heritage published Saving the American Dream: The Heritage Plan to Fix the Debt, Cut Spending, and Restore … 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