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Sessions-McCaskill Amendment to Establish Binding Discretionary Funding Limits Poses Numerous Problems and Is Ill-Advised
March 16, 2010
An amendment to pending aviation legislation by Senators Jeff Sessions and Claire McCaskill that would establish binding limits on discretionary appropriations for the next three years poses a series of problems for short- and long-term budget policy. Specifically, the amendment (SA 3435) to … -
Obama Budget Includes Major Plan to Preserve Needed Affordable Housing
March 16, 2010
The President’s $350 million Transforming Rental Assistance (TRA) initiative, outlined in his fiscal 2011 budget, would enable local housing agencies and private owners to more easily preserve affordable housing, in part by giving them more adequate and sustainable funding to operate it. As a result, TRA would help preserve an estimated … -
Podcast: Reconciliation and Health Reform
March 16, 2010
A legislative tool called “reconciliation” and its role in health reform are discussed by a Senior Fellow at the Center, Paul Van de Water.
Duration: 4:08
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Social Security Does Not Need a “Bailout”
Updated March 16, 2010
In recent weeks, a few commentators have sounded an alarm about the recession’s impact on Social Security’s near-term prospects, which may lead some people to think that the program faces financial problems in the next several years. Fortunately, that is not the case. Social Security continues to run annual surpluses and remains … -
A Formula for Decline: Lessons from Colorado for States Considering TABOR
Updated March 15, 2010
Colorado’s so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, has contributed to a significant decline in that state’s public services. This decline has serious implications not only for the more than 5 million residents of Colorado, but also for the many millions of residents of other states in which TABOR-like measures are being … -
Ryan’s Response to Center’s Analysis of “Roadmap” Is Off Base
March 12, 2010
We are quite disappointed that, in responding to our analysis of his budget plan, Rep. Paul Ryan accuses the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities of “partisan demagoguery” as well as “factual errors and misleading statements.” Quite the contrary, we applied the same rigorous analytical process to Rep. Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future that we do to every issue we study. We worked for more than a month on our analysis, and we … -
Video: Fox Business Interviews Nicholas Johnson on the State Fiscal Crisis
March 11, 2010
Nicholas Johnson weighs in on tax hikes in response to the recession on Fox Business News.
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Media Briefing: The Ryan Budget’s Radical Priorities
March 10, 2010
Robert Greenstein and Paul Van de Water discuss the radical priorities in Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal in a media call on March 10, 2010.
Duration: 21:34
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The Ryan Budget's Radical Priorities
March 10, 2010
I. Summary The Roadmap for America’s Future, which Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) — the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee — released in late January, calls for radical policy changes that would result in a massive transfer of resources from the broad majority of Americans to the nation’s wealthiest individuals.… -
Slideshow: The State Budget Crisis and the Economy
March 10, 2010
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Statement: Michael Mazerov, Senior Fellow, on Amazon's Cancellation of Its Colorado Affiliate Program
March 9, 2010
Last month, Colorado enacted a law that requires Amazon.com and other Internet retailers that do not collect and remit Colorado sales tax on what they sell in the state to tell their Colorado customers that they may owe sales tax on their purchases, and also to tell the state each year the total … -
Podcast: The Recovery Act Creates Jobs and Boosts Economy
March 9, 2010
The latest information showing that the Recovery Act is creating jobs and boosting the economy is discussed by Senior Policy Analyst Michael Leachman. Duration: 3:12
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State Tax Changes in Response to the Recession
March 8, 2010
The national recession has had such a devastating effect on state finances that states took in $87 billion less in tax revenue from October 2008 through September 2009 than they collected in the previous 12 months. This 11 percent decline, the steepest on record, resulted from the impact on tax collections of lost jobs, reduced wages, and … -
An Update on State Budget Cuts
Updated March 8, 2010
With tax revenue still declining as a result of the recession and budget reserves largely drained, the vast majority of states have made spending cuts that hurt families and reduce necessary services. These cuts, in turn, have deepened states’ economic problems because families and businesses have less to spend. Federal recovery act … -
Governors’ New Budgets Indicate Loss of Many Jobs if Federal Aid Expires
Updated March 8, 2010
States face continued major budget problems, because of the steepest-ever decline in state revenues and the end of most federal Recovery Act assistance halfway through their coming fiscal year. As a result, governors are proposing a new round of deep budget cuts that would increase unemployment and threaten the fragile economic recovery. Without further federal aid, … -
Statement: Chad Stone, Chief Economist, on the February Employment Report
March 5, 2010
Today’s jobs report shows that job losses continued at a moderate pace in February and unemployment remained unchanged at 9.7 percent. While noting that these numbers may include the impacts on hiring and hours worked of the severe winter weather that paralyzed major Northeastern cities in February, the Labor Department said that it could not quantify the impact.… -
Podcast: The February Employment Report and What It Means for the Economy
March 5, 2010
The jobs report for February is discussed by Chief Economist, Chad Stone.
Duration: 2:48
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Changes in Medicare Tax on High-Income People Represent Sound Additions to Health Reform
March 4, 2010
The President’s health reform plan would raise the Medicare tax rate for single filers with incomes over $200,000 and married filers with incomes over $250,000 — a provision that was included in the Senate-passed health bill — and also would extend this tax to the unearned income these affluent households receive such as income from capital gains, … -
Podcast: Zoë Neuberger Testimony on the Hunger Free Schools Act
March 4, 2010
Senior Policy Analyst, Zoë Neuberger, discusses the Hunger Free Schools Act before the House of Representative Subcommittee on Agriculture, at a hearing titled “Child Nutrition” on Thursday, March 4, 2010.
Duration: 6:06
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Testimony: Zoë Neuberger on the Hunger Free Schools Act
March 4, 2010
Millions of American school children rely upon the federal nutrition programs as a basic support even during the best of economies, but with unemployment hovering near 10 percent and long-term unemployment at record levels, children need them more than ever to help them grow and thrive. The reauthorization of the child nutrition programs offers an important … -
Recession Threatens State Health Care Programs
March 4, 2010
In considering “jobs legislation” in the weeks ahead, Congress will decide whether to extend the temporary increase in federal support for state Medicaid programs that last year’s economic recovery legislation provided. Failure to do so would lead to deeper state budget cuts that cost substantial numbers of jobs, as well as … -
Don't Let the Ideal Prevent the Necessary
March 3, 2010
Federal policymakers face two daunting challenges this year with regard to economic and fiscal policy. First, they must enact legislation that will help sustain and accelerate the nascent economic recovery and create jobs more quickly than would occur otherwise. Second, they must show that they are serious about putting the budget on a … -
Testimony: Robert Tannenwald, Senior Fellow, on Massachusetts' Film Tax Credits
March 3, 2010
Chairman Kaufman, Chairman Downing, and other members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning. For the record, I am a Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a non-partisan research and policy institute which works at the federal and state … -
Using Reconciliation Process to Enact Health Reform Would Be Fully Consistent With Past Practice
Updated March 3, 2010
The President and Democratic congressional leaders have determined that the best way to enact comprehensive health reform in the face of solid Republican opposition is to use the congressional reconciliation process to make a limited number of changes to the health reform bill that the Senate passed in December.[1] Despite charges by congressional Republicans and … -
The Zero-Sum Game: States Cannot Stimulate Their Economies by Cutting Taxes
March 2, 2010
Policymakers in a number of states are considering proposals to cut taxes and institute job-creation tax credits. While state policymakers are understandably eager to do something to improve their economies, such measures generally will not increase economic growth. State balanced-budget requirements prevent states from stimulating their … -
Podcast: The Hunger Free Schools Act
March 2, 2010
Legislation that can reduce child hunger in the country is discussed by Senior Policy Analyst for Food Assistance, Zoë Neuberger.
Duration: 4:33
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Additional Federal Fiscal Relief Needed to Help States Address Recession’s Impact
Updated March 1, 2010
States face a serious fiscal problem that could force them to institute additional deep budget cuts and tax increases in 2010, weakening the fragile economic recovery and harming vulnerable children, seniors, and people with disabilities, among others. The federal assistance that states received for their Medicaid programs … -
With 100,000 Newly Created Subsidized Jobs at Stake, It’s Critical to Extend and Expand TANF Emergency Fund as Part of New Jobs Bill
February 26, 2010
The Senate should include President Obama’s proposal to extend for one year and modestly expand the TANF Emergency Fund in the bill it is crafting to respond to historically high unemployment and weak consumer demand. If the Senate fails to include this measure, a program that is providing many unemployed, low-income parents with … -
Creating a Safety Net That Works When the Economy Doesn’t: The Role of the Food Stamp and TANF Programs
February 25, 2010
The Food Stamp Program[1] and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program have responded very differently to the unprecedented challenges that the current recession, with its high levels of unemployment and rapidly changing economic circumstances, has posed to the nation’s safety net. The Food Stamp Program, a federal … -
New CBO Report Finds Recovery Act Has Preserved or Created Up To 2.1 Million Jobs
February 25, 2010
A new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report estimates that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) had preserved or created between 1 million and 2.1 million jobs as of December. In other words, there were between 1 million and 2.1 million more jobs in the economy in December than there would have been without ARRA. This … -
Recession Continues to Batter State Budgets; State Responses Could Slow Recovery
Updated February 25, 2010
The worst recession since the 1930s has caused the steepest decline in state tax receipts on record. As a result, even after making very deep cuts, states continue to face large budget gaps. New shortfalls have opened up in the budgets of at least 41 states for the current fiscal year (FY 2010, which began July 1 in most states). In addition, … -
Statement by Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on Retirement Security Proposals in the President’s 2011 Budget
February 24, 2010
The retirement security proposals in the President’s 2011 budget likely would produce a significant increase in retirement saving that would help both American families and the overall economy. It would increase the total amount of national saving, thereby increasing the pool of funds … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on the President's Health Reform Proposal
February 23, 2010
The President’s proposal represents the last hope, perhaps for years to come, to enact comprehensive reforms that extend coverage to over 30 million uninsured Americans, provide important consumer protections to tens of millions of insured Americans whose coverage may have critical gaps, … -
Tax Rate for Richest 400 Taxpayers Plummeted in Recent Decades, Even as Their Pre-Tax Incomes Skyrocketed
February 23, 2010
The effective federal income tax rate for the 400 taxpayers with the very highest incomes has declined by nearly half over the past two decades, even as their pre-tax incomes have grown five times larger, new IRS data show.[1] The top 400 households paid 16.6 percent of their income in federal individual income taxes in 2007, down from 30 … -
Podcast: Governors’ Budget Proposals and the Economy
February 23, 2010
Governors’ proposed budgets for next year and what they mean for the economy are discussed by the Deputy Director of the Center’s State Fiscal Project, Jon Shure.
Duration: 3:44
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Extending TANF Emergency Fund Meets CBO Criteria for Effective Policies to Increase Employment
February 22, 2010
As Congress considers actions to create jobs and boost the economy, one of the most effective steps it could take — on a “bang-for-the-buck” basis — would be to extend and modestly expand the TANF Emergency Fund, set to expire September 30. This fund, created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is creating jobs at a very low cost. … -
With Long-Term Unemployment at Record Levels, Congress Should Extend Recovery Act’s Unemployment Insurance Provisions Through 2010
February 22, 2010
Unless Congress acts, temporary emergency benefits for unemployed workers will run out at the end of this month. These benefits not only help unemployed workers and their families, but also are one of the most effective ways to boost the nascent economic recovery. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), enacted a year ago, provided additional weeks of … -
Getting the Facts Straight
February 17, 2010
Some of President Obama’s critics and political opponents have launched a line of argument that Obama is mostly to blame for the large federal budget deficits projected for the coming decade and that his Administration’s role in swelling deficits and debt dwarfs that of the previous administration. [1] The critics cite what they … -
Extending the TANF Emergency Fund Would Create and Preserve Jobs Quickly and Efficiently
Updated February 17, 2010
The TANF Emergency Fund created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has enabled states to create subsidized jobs for TANF recipients and other low-income unemployed individuals and to bolster overall consumer demand by helping states meet the growing need for basic assistance among very poor families with children.[1] Some 38 … -
Where Today's Large Deficits Come From
Revised February 17, 2010
Some critics charge that the new policies pursued by President Obama and the 111th Congress caused the huge federal budget deficits that the nation now faces. In fact, the tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the economic downturn together explain virtually the entire deficit … -
Failure to Extend Improvements in Child Tax Credit Would Harm Millions of Low-Income Working Families
February 16, 2010
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) expanded the child tax credit to reach many low-income working families who previously were excluded from it and boosted the credit for many more such families who were receiving only a fraction of the full credit. This action helped millions of children whose parents are child care … -
Oregon Voters' Approval of Tax Increase Noteworthy as Federal Tax Debate Opens
February 16, 2010
Oregonians’ decisive vote last month to raise taxes on households making over $250,000 calls into question the conventional wisdom that tax-increase proposals are politically untenable regardless of their merit on economic, budgetary, and equity grounds. This has important implications for Congress, which must decide … -
Podcast: The January Employment Report and What It Means for the Economy
February 16, 2010
The jobs report for January is discussed by Chief Economist, Chad Stone.
Duration: 3:32
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A Balanced Approach to Closing State Deficits
February 16, 2010
As states head into their third year of fiscal crisis most continue to face severe revenue shortfalls that require closing huge deficits. [1] As states prepare and consider budgets for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2010 in most states, the choices they make about how to close those deficits have serious implications both in the short and … -
Coburn-Ryan Health Bill Would Jeopardize Coverage for Many, While Failing To Reduce the Number of Uninsured Significantly
Revised February 12, 2010
With President Obama’s call for greater inter-party cooperation on health reform, and his announcement that the White House will hold a health care “summit” on February 25, Republican alternatives to the House- and Senate-passed Democratic plans are now receiving more attention. One such alternative is the … -
Policy Basics: Introduction to the Food Stamp Program
Updated February 12, 2010
What Is the Food Stamp Program? The Food Stamp Program, the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helps roughly 38 million low-income Americans to afford a nutritionally adequate diet. (Effective October 1, 2008, the 2008 Farm Bill renamed the Food Stamp Program the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.) More than 75 … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on Baucus-Grassley "HIRE" Act
February 11, 2010
The Baucus-Grassley “HIRE” Act recognizes the need for further steps to boost the economy and create jobs beyond what Congress enacted last year in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It falls short of what’s needed, however, because it lacks additional fiscal relief for hard-pressed states and provides an inadequate extension of … -
Podcast: The ABCs of State Budgets
February 9, 2010
The ABCs of state budgets, and the problems that many states face today because of the recession are discussed by the Deputy Director of the Center’s State Fiscal Project, Jon Shure.
Duration: 4:13
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Statement: Chad Stone, Chief Economist, on the January Employment Report
February 5, 2010
Today’s jobs report shows that job losses have slowed to a trickle compared with what they were in the months just before President Obama and Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) last February. But it also highlights the huge jobs deficit that remains the legacy of the longest and most severe recession since the Great Depression. … -
President's Budget Requests $266 Billion to Support Economic Recovery
February 5, 2010
In light of the still tenuous nature of the economic recovery, President Obama’s budget request of $266 billion for temporary provisions to support and speed economic recovery is necessary, reasonably sized, and well targeted.[1] Some news outlets, focusing on the budget’s $100 billion for a new “jobs initiative,” have reported that the budget …
