Federal Budget

Budget Battles

  • Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) arrives at Democratic Party caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/ File Photo

    Factbox: What happens in a U.S. government shutdown?

    By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker, Reuters

    In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep...

  • FILE PHOTO - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin listens as U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a tax reform industry meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

    Trump Tries to Sell Tax Reform to Democrats

    By David Morgan, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump intensified his efforts to sell Democrats on his tax reform plan on Wednesday even as Senate Republicans edged closer to passing a budget measure that...

  • U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

    Senate Republicans Gain Crucial Support for Budget Vital to Tax Reform

    By David Morgan, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans on Monday gained crucial support for a vote on a budget resolution that is vital to President Donald Trump's hopes of signing sweeping tax reform...

  • FILE PHOTO: Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 12, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

    No Talk of Ousting Speaker Ryan, Key Conservative Says

    By Reuters

    Many Republicans are unhappy with the deal President Donald Trump reached last week with Democratic leaders to raise the government's debt ceiling and allow it to continue financing federal spending...

  • FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol Building is lit at sunset in Washington, U.S., December 20, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

    Congress sends Trump disaster aid, debt limit increase

    By Richard Cowan and Amanda Becker, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to provide disaster aid, extend the debt ceiling and fund the federal government for three months on Friday, delivering on...

  • The Man Who Got Under Obama’s Skin

    By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

    California Rep. Darrell Issa has sunk his teeth into three juicy controversies. The next few months will test whether his eyes are bigger than his stomach.

  • New IRS Head Tells Congress He’ll Restore Trust

    By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

    Danny Werfel made his Capitol Hill debut as acting IRS commissioner on Monday, putting the agency tainted by its targeting of Tea Party groups into full damage control mode.

  • Pentagon Has No Idea What 108,000 Contractors Are Doing

    By David Francis

    Two new report show that the Pentagon is unable to determine how the billions its spending on private contractors is being spent, or what actual work these contractors are performing.

  • The 3 Biggest Losers in a Slashed Defense Budget

    By David Francis

    Leading think tanks gathered in Washington last week to outline where sequestration and DOD budget reductions would hurt the Pentagon most. There are three main areas where the squeeze will be...

  • The economics of austerity

    By Lawrence H. Summers, Reuters

    (Reuters) - Paced by housing and energy, the U.S. economic recovery is likely to accelerate this year and budget deficit projections have declined as well. Unfortunately the European economy remains...