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    Cutting Federal Waste: Not a Silver Bullet, but Still Important

    President Obama’s State of the Union Address tomorrow evening provides him with a chance to explain how he would put the country on a path to a balanced budget. He should talk about entitlement program reforms and meaningful discretionary spending cuts, but he should also target the low-hanging fruit of … More

    White House Dismisses Budget Deadline

    We knew President Obama would be late in submitting his fiscal year 2014 budget proposal. White House press secretary Jay Carney largely dismissed yesterday’s legal deadline, arguing for “substance over deadlines” when it comes to evaluating the President’s budget. Translation: There’s nothing to see here. However, Obama’s budget request is … More

    Morning Bell: How to Balance the Budget in 10 Years

    Both houses of Congress have now voted to suspend the debt ceiling until May 19, buying lawmakers more time to develop a budget. The Senate would put together a budget for the first time in three years—and the details of that budget are crucial. To prevent the federal debt from … More

    Morning Bell: It’s Time to Balance the Budget

    Today, the House will vote on a proposal that would suspend the debt ceiling until May 19, buying a bit more time for the overarching budget debate. This puts off the difficult decisions that are needed to get the country’s fiscal situation in order. Heritage’s vice president for domestic and … More

    Obama Inauguration Speech: More Transportation “Investment”

    President Obama hinted toward at least one aspect of his second-term agenda during yesterday’s inaugural address: more transportation “investment.” No surprise there. Obama’s past budget requests, State of the Union speeches, and the American Jobs Act of 2011 plan have all been peppered with calls for increased federal spending on … More

    Debt Limit: Talk of Tax Increases Distracts from Spending Problem

    In response to President Obama’s press conference last week, House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer (D–MD) claimed, “Clearly we need additional [spending] cuts. But…revenues have not been resolved.” Wait a minute. Revenues have not been resolved? My, how quickly one’s memory can fade. Lest we forget the fiscal cliff deal, hastily … More

    Will Debt Ceiling Baby Step Lead Toward a Balanced Budget?

    The debt ceiling is bearing down on Washington. As with most such momentous occasions, plenty of partisan potshots have been exchanged, like this whopper from the White House: that House Republicans who are demanding spending reductions in exchange for increasing the debt limit would compromise the full faith and credit … More

    Smaller Paycheck? Welcome to Obama’s Post-Fiscal-Cliff World

    Working Americans receiving their first full paycheck of the year may have had a rude awakening today. Despite all the President’s promises not to raise taxes on the middle class, he did exactly that. By allowing the payroll tax holiday to expire at the end of 2012, President Obama and … More

    Debt Ceiling: Default Not at Issue, Federal Spending Is

    President Obama is expected to make his case for a debt ceiling increase at a press conference this morning. The development comes as House Republicans are reportedly weighing “default” and “government shutdown.” While it’s encouraging that conservatives are gearing up for a fight, it’s important that policymakers and the public … More

    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