Budget

How the Deficit Looms Over the Democratic Presidential Race

By Yuval Rosenberg

Democrats are set to hold another presidential primary debate Wednesday night, and if the pattern from past debates holds true, we’ll likely hear the 10 candidates on stage talk a lot about health...
House Votes to Push Shutdown Deadline to December

By Yuval Rosenberg

The House on Tuesday passed a stopgap measure to fund the government through December 20. The Senate is set to take up the bill before current short-term funding expires on Thursday night, and the...
Congress Has Three Days to Avert a Government Shutdown

By Yuval Rosenberg

You may not have realized it with everything else going on , but we’re technically just a few days away from a government shutdown. Current funding for federal agencies expires after November 21 —...
Trump Wants South Korea to Pay Up for Protection: Report

By Michael Rainey

President Trump is demanding that South Korea pay billions of additional dollars for U.S. protection, according to a report Friday at CNN . South Korea is paying about $1 billion this year to cover...
Cost of Wars Since 9/11: $6.4 Trillion and Rising

By Michael Rainey

The total cost of the wars fought since 9/11 is approaching $6.4 trillion, according to an annual report published Wednesday by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown...

Fed Chief: Get the Deficit Under Control While the Economy Is Still Strong

By Michael Rainey

Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell told lawmakers Wednesday that Congress needs to get the deficit under control while the economy is still growing and the outlook remains positive. Failing to do so...
Congress Plans Stopgap Spending Bill Through December 20

By Yuval Rosenberg

Mark December 20 on your calendar. Congress plans to pass a second stopgap spending bill to keep the government running through that date, House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) told...
Verma Attacks Critics of Medicaid Work Requirement, Pushes for Tighter Eligibility

By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News

Seema Verma, the Trump administration’s top Medicaid official, Tuesday sharply attacked critics of her plan to force some Medicaid enrollees to work, a policy that led to thousands of people losing...
Elizabeth Warren Says Americans Will Spend $11 Trillion on Health Care. Is That True?

By Michael Rainey

Elizabeth Warren says that Americans will spend “about $11 trillion on insurance premiums, copays, deductibles and uncovered medical expenses” over the next 10 years if the current health care system...
Mark Sanford Ends 2020 Presidential Bid Challenging Trump

By Yuval Rosenberg

Former South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford suspended his longshot presidential bid on Tuesday, 65 days after he announced he would challenge President Trump for the 2020 Republican nomination. A fiscal...

Senate Republicans Back Trump’s Bid for $5 Billion in Border Wall Funding

By Yuval Rosenberg

Senate Republicans are backing President Trump’s request for $5 billion in funding for his proposed border barriers. On Tuesday, Trump’s Republican allies in the Senate unveiled a $71 billion draft...
Get Ready for More Short-Term Spending Bills

By Michael Rainey

We told you last week that lawmakers on Capitol Hill, seeking to avert a fight over President Trump’s border wall, were considering an option to extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security...
Trump Officials Mull Taking Billions More from Military for Border Wall: Report

By Yuval Rosenberg

The Trump administration drew the ire of lawmakers with its controversial move to defy Congress and divert $3.6 billion dollars in military funding toward construction of barriers along the border...
A Cautionary Tale About Short-Term Health Insurance

By Michael Rainey

The Trump administration is encouraging the sale of short-term insurance plans as a less expensive alternative to the comprehensive plans sold on the federal Affordable Care Act marketplaces...
House Passes 7-Week Spending Bill, Setting Up November Shutdown Fight

By Yuval Rosenberg

The House on Thursday afternoon passed a short-term spending bill to fund the government through November 21 and avoid a shutdown when the new fiscal year starts at the beginning of October. The...