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This page shows a chronological list of all CBPP materials.

Pre-2005 Content Archive

Report

CBO Data Show Tax Cuts Have Played Much Larger Role than Domestic Spending Increases in Fueling the Deficit

January 31, 2005 | Ruth Carlitz and Richard Kogan

The new Congressional Budget Office budget projections released today show that the nation faces a fourth consecutive year of substantial budget deficits. Some seek to portray “runaway...

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So-Called "Price Indexing" Proposal Would Result In Deep Reductions Over Time In Social Security Benefits

January 28, 2005 | Robert Greenstein

Increasing attention is being accorded to a proposal to make a major change in how Social Security benefits levels are set. Under a proposal that President Bush’s Social Security Commission put...

Report

The Simple Story: Tax Cuts Lose Revenues

January 25, 2005 | Richard Kogan

New projections issued by the Congressional Budget Office on January 25 indicate that the tax cuts enacted over the last few years will do little if anything to promote long-term economic...

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Apparent Improvement in CBO's January Budget Projections Is Largely Artificial

January 24, 2005 | Richard Kogan

The most recent ten-year "baseline" projection of the federal budget, issued by the Congressional Budget Office in September 2004, showed deficits totaling $2.3 trillion over ten years. When CBO...

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The Flawed “Population Plus Inflation” Formula: Why TABOR’s Growth Formula Doesn’t Work

January 13, 2005 | David Bradley, Iris J. Lav and Nicholas Johnson

Limiting the growth of state revenue collections and state expenditures to a population-growth-plus-inflation formula is a central provision of a new generation of “tax and expenditure...

Report

Is Colorado’s TABOR Creating Jobs?

January 13, 2005 | Karen Lyons and Nicholas Johnson

Advocates of Colorado’s “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” (TABOR) — a stringent set of tax and spending limitations that is being promoted as a model for other states and for the federal...

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Tax Cuts and Consequences: The States That Cut Taxes the Most During the 1990s Have Suffered Lately

January 12, 2005 | Robert Greenstein

SummaryBetween the mid-1990s and 2001, states enacted a wave of tax cuts. Some 44 states enacted tax cuts that ultimately reduced state revenue by an average of 7.6 percent. Sixteen states reduced...

Report

Does Social Security Face a Crisis in 2018?

January 11, 2005 | Jason Furman

A recently leaked White House memo indicates that the first phase of the Administration’s strategy to sell individual accounts will be to convince Americans that the Social Security system is...

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Senator Misrepresents CBO Report in Launching Misleading Attack on Fiscally Responsible Social Security Plan

January 4, 2005 | Robert Greenstein

On December 22, the Congressional Budget Office released an analysis of a Social Security plan designed by M.I.T economist Peter Diamond, one of the world’s foremost experts on retirement issues,...

Report

Hunger, Crowding, and Other Hardships Are Widespread Among Families in Poverty

December 20, 2004 | Arloc Sherman

Two recent, little noticed government reports spotlight the strained living conditions of millions of U.S. families. One report shows that the number of Americans threatened by hunger inched...

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Should the Budget Rules Be Changed So That Large-Scale Borrowing To Fund Individual Accounts Is Left Out of the Budget?

December 13, 2004 | William Gale, Peter R. Orszag and Jason Furman

Recent plans to replace part of Social Security with individual accounts would significantly increase federal borrowing for at least several decades. Over the next 10 years alone, various...

Report

Should the Budget Be Changed to Exclude the Cost of Individual Accounts?

December 13, 2004 | Peter R. Orszag, William Gale and Jason Furman

Executive SummaryProposals to replace part of Social Security with individual accounts are now a focus of attention, with the President expressing a strong desire to push forward on creating...

Report

Would Borrowing $2 Trillion for Individual Accounts Eliminate $10 Trillion in Social Security Liabilities?

December 13, 2004 | Jason Furman and Peter R. Orszag

Administration officials have been downplaying the significance of the $2 trillion in transition costs required by some individual accounts plans, by comparing that cost to the unfunded...

Report

State Policies to Assist Working-Poor Families

December 10, 2004 | Elizabeth McNichol and John Springer

Introduction For a large and growing number of Americans, having a job is not enough to lift them out of poverty. This report presents a menu of practical policy options that states...

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State Fiscal Crisis Lingers: Cuts Still Loom

December 8, 2004 | Elizabeth McNichol

For information on the state budget shortfalls states are currently facing, see:http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=711As state legislatures write their budgets for the 2005-06...

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Did the Appropriations Bill Provide a Sufficient Increase in Low-Income Energy Assistance to Cover Spiraling Home Heating Costs?

November 23, 2004 | Richard Kogan

Because of large increases in home heating costs in recent months, the funding level that Congress provided for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) [1] in the recently...

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Reducing Paperwork and Connecting Low-Income Children with School Meals

November 17, 2004 | Zoë Neuberger

OverviewIn enacting the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Congress made several changes in the eligibility determination process for free and reduced-price school meals.[1]...

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The Potential Impact of Eliminating TennCare and Reverting to Medicaid: A Preliminary Analysis

November 16, 2004 | Leighton Ku and Victoria Wachino

SummaryOn November 10, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen announced, “I have set in motion a process to dissolve TennCare and replace it with a traditional Medicaid program.”[1] The...

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Improvements to Appropriations Bills Needed to Protect Housing Vouchers in 2005

November 8, 2004 | Barbara Sard and Will Fischer

The Senate and House Appropriations Committees have each approved bills funding the “Section 8” Housing Choice Voucher program and other HUD programs in fiscal year 2005. Neither committee...

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The Effects of Copayments on the Use of Medical Services and Prescription Drugs in Utah’s Medicaid Program

November 2, 2004 | Elaine Deschamps, Judi Hilman and Leighton Ku

SummaryIn recent years, a number of states have increased cost-sharing for low-income Medicaid beneficiaries as one approach to Medicaid cost-containment. While copayments have been most...

Report

Share of Economy Going to Wages and Salaries Drops for Unprecedented 14th Straight Quarter

October 29, 2004 | Isaac Shapiro and David Kamin

The Commerce Department data released today on the nation’s Gross Domestic Product — which measures the overall size of the economy — indicate the continuation of a troubling trend for...

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Policy Considerations Relating to Privatization in the Food Stamp Program

October 28, 2004 | David Super

The Food Stamp Act requires that state civil servants make all decisions about individual households’ eligibility for benefits. Throughout the program’s history, state civil service...

Report

Funding Instability Threatens to Erode Business Community’s Confidence In The Housing Voucher Program

October 14, 2004 | Barbara Sard

At its core, the Section 8 housing voucher program represents a partnership between the private sector, which builds and maintains the housing occupied by voucher holders, and the...

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Official Treasury Report Shows Fourth Year Of Deficit Growth, Despite Economic Recovery

October 14, 2004 | Robert Greenstein and Richard Kogan

Fiscal Year 2004 ended on September 30, and today the Treasury Department reported that the deficit for 2004 was $413 billion, or 3.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product.[1]At 3.6 percent of...

Report

Number of Unemployed Going Without Federal Benefits Hits Record 3 Million

October 13, 2004 | Isaac Shapiro

Since late December, when the federal Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation program stopped providing additional aid to individuals exhausting their regular unemployment benefits, a...

Report

Large Families Face Higher Rent Burdens and Fewer Housing Opportunities Under New HUD Rent Rules

October 14, 2004 | Tara O'Neill, Barbara Sard and Will Fischer

On October 1, 2004, HUD put into effect new rent standards — known as Fair Market Rents or FMRs — that will be used to set maximum rent levels for the “Section 8” housing voucher...

Report

Unemployment Insurance Does Not Explain Why TANF Caseloads Are Falling As Poverty and Need Are Rising

October 12, 2004 | Shawn Fremstad, Sharon Parrott and Arloc Sherman

Between 2000 and 2003, the number and percentage of single mothers living in poverty increased while the percentage of single mothers with jobs fell. At the same time, poverty among children...

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State Fact Sheets: Local Data on Final 2005 Fair Market Rents

October 12, 2004

contacts

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2000 L St., NW #700
Washington, DC 20036
www.ced.org

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State-Level Ballot Measures in November 2004 With Significant Fiscal Implications

October 13, 2004 | David Bradley and Nicholas Johnson

A number of states will have measures on the November 2, 2004 ballot that have potentially significant implications for state budgets. What follows is a listing of some such measures.There...

Report

September Job Growth Is Only One-Third of Average Job Growth For An Economic Recovery Period

October 9, 2004 | Isaac Shapiro

The number of jobs grew by 96,000 in September. This is one-third the job growth of 300,000 per month that would have been achieved if job growth had occurred at the rate that is average for...

Statement

Statement: HHS Again Touts Decline In Welfare Caseloads Despite Recent Increase In Poverty

October 7, 2004

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that caseloads in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program fell below 2 million during the first quarter of...

Report

Temporary Provisions in the Corporate Tax Bill Mask Its Likely Long-Term Impact on the Deficit

October 7, 2004 | Joel Friedman

The conference committee chaired by House Ways and Means Chair Bill Thomas completed work on the corporate tax bill on October 6, and the House and Senate are expected to vote on...

Report

Connecting the Dots Federal Policies Are Worsening Wisconsin’s State and Local Budget Problems

October 6, 2004

Issued Jointly WithExecutive SummaryAt a time when state and local governments around the country struggle to overcome continuing budget shortfalls, the federal government is only making ...

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Fact Sheet: Administration Plan for Expiring SCHIP Funds Would Weaken Program

October 6, 2004

A new Center report, Assessing the Administration’s Claims That Extending $1.1 Billion in Expiring SCHIP Funds Is Unnecessary to Sustain Existing...

Report

The Anticipated Corporate Tax Package: Watch Out For Gimmicks and Giveaways

October 4, 2004 | Joel Friedman

A Congressional conference committee, chaired by House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas, is scheduled to meet late on October 4 to finalize a package of corporate tax changes. The package...

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Assessing the Administration's Claims that Extending $1.1 Billion in ExpiringAssessing the Administration's Claims that Extending $1.1 Billion in Expiring SCHIP Funds is Not Necessary to Sustain Existing Children's Enrollment

September 30, 2004 | Matt Broaddus and Edwin Park

Recent media reports indicate that the Bush Administration opposes bipartisan legislation to extend nearly $1.1 billion in unspent SCHIP funds that are slated to expire and revert to the Treasury...

Report

Deficits and the Mid-Session Review

October 1, 2004 | David Kamin, Robert Greenstein and Richard Kogan

On July 30, the Office of Management and Budget released new projections stating that the budget deficit will grow to $445 billion in fiscal year 2004. This is $70 billion larger...

Report

Official Facts Contradict Administration Statements: Decline In 2004 Deficit Estimate Is Not Due To Faster Economic Growth

October 1, 2004 | Isaac Shapiro, David Kamin and Robert Greenstein

On September 7, the Congressional Budget Office released a report estimating that the budget deficit will equal $422 billion in fiscal year 2004. Although this is $46 billion larger than the...

Report

New Congressional Budget Office Estimates Show Continued High Deficits and Further Fiscal Deterioration

October 1, 2004 | David Kamin and Richard Kogan

Executive SummaryOn September 7, the Congressional Budget Office released new estimates showing that the budget deficit will grow to $422 billion in fiscal year 2004. [1] This is $46...

Report

New Congressional Budget Office Estimates Show Continued High Deficits and Further Fiscal Deterioration

October 1, 2004 | David Kamin and Richard Kogan

Executive SummaryOn September 7, the Congressional Budget Office released new estimates showing that the budget deficit will grow to $422 billion in fiscal year 2004. [1] This is $46...

Report

Studies Shed New Light on Effects of Administration’s Tax Cuts

September 13, 2004 | Isaac Shapiro and David Kamin

A wide variety of informative new data and analyses has been released recently that provide a more complete picture of how the 2001-2003 tax cuts are affecting the economy, the budget,...

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Fact Sheet: New Details Emerging on Effects of Recent Tax Cuts

September 13, 2004

A new Center report, Studies Shed New Light on Effects of Administration’s Tax Cuts, highlights data and analyses released in the past few weeks that provide a more...

Report

Administration's Latest 2004 Deficit Projection Appears Overstated;

August 10, 2004

On August 2, three days after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) projected that the fiscal year 2004 deficit will total $445 billion, the Treasury Department issued data indicating a deficit...

Statement

Statement: Robert Greenstein on the Administration’s Mid-Session Review

July 30, 2004

Today, the Administration released new projections showing a fiscal year 2004 budget deficit of $445 billion. This represents an increase in the deficit of $70 billion over its level of $375...

Report

Food Stamp Error Rates Hold At Record Low Levels In 2005

June 30, 2004 | Dottie Rosenbaum

On June 23, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released state and national food stamp error rates for federal fiscal year 2005 calculated through the food stamp quality control (QC)...

Report

Deficit Picture Grimmer Than CBO's March Projections Suggest

June 4, 2004

Key Findings

If the tax cuts are extended and other likely costs occur, deficits will total $4.6 trillion over the next ten years, will never fall below $300 billion in any year, and will exceed $600 billion by 2014.
Since January 2001, the budget outlook for the ten years 2002 to 2011 has deteriorated by $8.8 trillion, with projections of surpluses being replaced by projections of large, sustained deficits.
In terms of legislation since 2001, tax cuts are the single largest factor behind the move from surpluses to deficits.

Report

WIC-Only Stores and Competitive Pricing in the WIC Program

May 17, 2004 | Robert Greenstein and Zoë Neuberger

OverviewOver the past decade, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has successfully leveraged market forces to contain program costs. Food...

Report

Tax Returns: A Comprehensive Assessment of the Bush Administration's Record on Cutting Taxes

April 23, 2004 | Isaac Shapiro and Joel Friedman

View more recent data on the cost of extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts: Letting High-Income Tax Cuts Expire Is Proper Response to Nation’s Short- and Long-Term...

Report

Methodology: The Current Course: Deficits As Far As the Eye Can See

April 21, 2004

Issued Jointly With Last month, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued new budget projections that show the federal government running a large cumulative deficit over the next...

Statement

Joint Statement In Support Of Restoring Pay-As-You-Go Budget Enforcement For Tax Cuts And Entitlements

April 21, 2004

Issued Jointly With Growing concerns that large chronic budget deficits once again threaten our economic future have led Members of Congress to consider whether to reinstate the...