Reports by Robert Greenstein
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Statement: Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on the New Senate Health Reform Bill
November 19, 2009
The new Senate health bill marks a major step toward comprehensive, fiscally responsible health reform. It would extend health insurance coverage to 31 million Americans who lack it, reduce the budget deficit, and put long-term downward pressure on health care costs. The bill would reduce deficits by an estimated $130 billion over the 2010-2019 period and by … -
Senate Health Bill Improves Employer Responsibility Provision
November 19, 2009
The “employer responsibility” provisions of the health reform bill that Senate leaders unveiled yesterday reflect notable progress in lessening the disincentives that the Senate Finance Committee health bill would have created for employers to hire workers from low- or moderate-income families. Significant disincentives to hire or retain … -
House Health Bill Would Expand, Strengthen Coverage for Children and Families
November 6, 2009
The health reform bill that House Democratic leaders introduced on October 29 (H.R. 3962) would provide affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage to 36 million Americans who otherwise would be uninsured, according to the Congressional Budget Office. [1] This is 7 million more otherwise-uninsured people than CBO estimates would gain coverage under … -
Washington Times Op-Ed: Robert Greenstein on the Deficit — Don't Make Things Worse
October 27, 2009
We recently updated our long-term projections of federal spending, revenues and deficits, and they confirm what budget experts both inside and outside the government have concluded: The nation is on an unsustainable fiscal course, facing unprecedented deficits that, if left unaddressed, will seriously weaken our economy.
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Proposed Expansions of Homebuyer Tax Credit Would Be Highly Inefficient and Squander Federal Resources
October 27, 2009
Executive Summary Members of Congress are considering extending — and possibly substantially expanding — the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The credit, which is available to first-time homebuyers with incomes up to $150,000 (up to $75,000 for … -
Finance Committee Makes Flawed Employer Requirement in Health Reform Bill Still More Problematic
Revised October 21, 2009
The health reform bill that the Senate Finance Committee approved this week, while a major step forward as a whole, contains a requirement that could inhibit the hiring of individuals from low-income families and would place cumbersome burdens on employers. The provision would require employers who do not offer health coverage to pay substantial … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on the Senate Finance Committee’s Health Reform Plan
October 13, 2009
The Senate Finance Committee’s approval of an ambitious health reform plan marks a major step toward enactment of legislation to extend health care to tens of millions of people who lack it, strengthen insurance protections for millions more who are underinsured or face exorbitant charges, and begin to address the nation’s most serious … -
Coalition Makes Flawed Arguments Against Proposal to Help Finance Health Reform by Maintaining Current Value of Itemized Deductions for Wealthy Households
Revised October 13, 2009
A coalition consisting of several trade associations for foundations and some nonprofit organizations along with a number of large charities has raised objections to a proposal that would help finance improved health coverage for low- and moderate-income people by maintaining the value of itemized deductions for wealthy Americans at its current … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on Chairman Baucus’ Health Reform Plan
September 16, 2009
Senator Baucus’ plan is a major contribution to the health care debate, as it would extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and improve insurance for millions of Americans who already have coverage — through reforms that deal with matters such as pre-existing conditions — and do so while fully offsetting the costs, … -
Poverty Rose, Median Income Declined, and Job-Based Health Insurance Continued to Weaken in 2008
September 10, 2009
Poverty increased, median household income fell, and the percentage of Americans with employer-based health coverage continued to decline in 2008, according to Census data for 2008 issued today. The figures reflect the initial effects of the recession. Median household income declined 3.6 percent in 2008 after adjusting for … -
Statement: Greenstein on Census’ 2008 Health Insurance and Poverty Data
September 10, 2009
Today’s grim Census Bureau report shows the nation lost substantial ground in 2008 on poverty, median income, and the number of people who are uninsured. Several aspects of the Census report stand out. The number of people living in poverty jumped by 2.6 million to 39.8 million — the highest since 1960. The poverty rate … -
Op-Ed by Robert Greenstein: The Stimulus Is Actually Working
July 30, 2009
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Adding Funding to the House Climate Bill for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Would Help Poor Families Facing Particularly Large Increases in Energy Costs
July 8, 2009
On June 26, 2009, the House of Representatives approved the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454). This legislation, which would place a cap on emissions of greenhouse gases to combat global warming, includes important provisions to ensure it does not make large numbers of low-income families worse off. These … -
Employer Requirement Under Consideration For Senate Finance Committee Health Bill Could Discourage Hiring of Low-Income, Minority, Disabled Workers
June 24, 2009
While an employer responsibility requirement is an essential component of health care reform, a proposal included in the new health reform package that Senator Max Baucus unveiled this weekend would have serious consequences, particularly for low-income and minority workers and women. Under the proposal, employers who do not offer health coverage would have to pay … -
Some Media Reports Mischaracterize CBO Estimate of Senate “HELP” Health Reform Bill
June 16, 2009
The news media are widely reporting that, according to a partial and preliminary Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, health reform legislation that the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) is developing would cut the number of uninsured by only 16 … -
Joint Statement: Robert Greenstein and James Horney on the President’s “Pay As You Go” Budget Proposal
June 10, 2009
President Obama’s proposal to require policymakers to fully pay for all new entitlement increases and tax cuts, rather than deficit-finance them, is an important first step to restore fiscal responsibility. Critics charge that the pay-as-you-go, or PAYGO, proposal is riddled with … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein on Trustees’ Social Security Report
May 12, 2009
The trustees’ report on Social Security shows that the program does not face an immediate crisis and isn’t at risk of collapsing and lacking funds to pay any benefits, even in the long run, but that Congress needs to restore Social Security’s long-term solvency so it can meet its … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein on Trustees’ Report on Medicare
May 12, 2009
The new trustees’ disturbing report on Medicare underscores the urgency that Congress enact health care reform that slows the growth of health care costs, while extending coverage to the uninsured. In particular, the report should prod Congress to adopt the President’s proposed … -
The Senate and the Estate Tax: Cutting Through the Fog
April 16, 2009
Earlier this month, the Senate voted on an amendment to the budget resolution, offered by Senators Jon Kyl and Blanche Lincoln, to shrink the estate tax in various ways. A number of major newspapers, including the New York Times and Washington Post, editorialized strongly against this proposal. Senators Kyl and Lincoln wrote … -
Huffington Post Op-Ed: Senate to Uber-Rich: “Help Is on the Way”
April 13, 2009
"...Is this the time to spend about $90 billion over the next decade to give the nation's wealthiest households a new, multi-million-dollar tax cut? The U.S. Senate apparently thinks so." Read more -
Tax Foundation Figures Do Not Represent Typical Households’ Tax Burdens
March 31, 2009
Each year, the Tax Foundation releases a report projecting “Tax Freedom Day,” which it describes as the day when Americans will have “earned enough money to pay this year’s tax obligations at the federal, state, and local levels.” [1] The Tax Foundation’s “Tax … -
Statement of Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on the New Report From the Congressional Budget Office
March 20, 2009
Today’s disturbing report from the Congressional Budget Office projects larger budget deficits over the next ten years than the President’s budget estimates, mainly because the economy is weaker than the Obama Administration and many private forecasters projected just a few months ago. These … -
Statement by Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, on the President's 2010 Budget Proposal
February 27, 2009
The President’s budget represents a bold and courageous proposal to make progress in restoring fiscal discipline while addressing two central problems of our time — a broken health care system and the threat of catastrophic global warming — and other national needs. … -
Huffington Post Op-ed: Should Progressives Shun the Economic Recovery Package?
February 20, 2009
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Why Utilities Are Not Well-Suited To Deliver Relief To Low- And Moderate-Income Consumers In A Climate Bill
February 19, 2009
Comprehensive climate change legislation is expected to include measures to mitigate the effects of higher energy-related prices on low- and moderate-income family budgets. Those higher energy prices play an important role in achieving efficient emissions reductions under a cap-and-trade system (or under a carbon tax), and they are an inevitable result of measures that limit the supply of fossil-fuel energy.… -
Statement: Robert Greenstein on the Conference Agreement on the Recovery Package
February 12, 2009
The economic recovery agreement is a major achievement that should provide timely and substantial stimulus to the deteriorating economy. The agreement improves significantly on the Senate bill, paring back several costly Senate-passed tax cuts that would have provided little “bang for the buck” in terms of economic stimulus, while … -
Costly Isakson Homebuyer Tax Credit Amendment Would Be Ineffective Stimulus
February 9, 2009
An amendment by Senator Isakson that the Senate added to its economic recovery legislation, providing a new $15,000 tax credit for home purchases in the 12 months after enactment,[1] has low bang for the buck as stimulus and is thus a dubious addition to the package. Unlike the $7,500 first-time homebuyer credit that Congress adopted as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act in July 2008 — which the new tax credit … -
Proposal to Lower Bottom Tax Rates Less Effective as Stimulus than "Making Work Pay" Credit
Updated February 3, 2009
A proposal to cut income tax rates, which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to include in economic recovery legislation, would provide its largest benefit to the top fifth of households and prove less effective as economic stimulus than the provision it would replace — President Obama’s “Making Work Pay” tax credit. The proposal, which was first unveiled January 23 by House Minority Leader John … -
Proposed Tax Break For Multinationals Would Be Poor Stimulus
Updated February 3, 2009
Relying on a flawed study funded by an entity that promotes corporate and capital gains tax cuts,[1] some business groups have proposed resurrecting, as a stimulus measure, the 2004 “dividend repatriation tax holiday” — which allowed firms to bring their foreign-generated profits back to the United States at a greatly reduced tax rate. More recently, … -
House and Senate Recovery Packages Would Improve Higher-Education Tax Credits
Revised February 2, 2009
The economic recovery package passed by the House last week[1] contains a measure that both would extend the Hope tax credit to nearly 4 million low-income students and make the credit more valuable to millions of middle-income students. The Senate Finance Committee has included a similar proposal in its economic recovery package. The House measure would increase the credit’s maximum … -
Capital Gains Tax Cut Would Be Poor Stimulus
January 15, 2009
In recent weeks, several policymakers have proposed temporary or permanent cuts in the capital gains rate as an “economic stimulus” measure. This would be ineffective at best: the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has stated that “a capital gains tax cut appears the least likely of any permanent tax cut to …
