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...

  • Ryan Takes Personal Approach on Medicare

    By FELICIA SONMEZ, The Washington Post

    In a speech that appeared intended to quell doubts among seniors about his proposal to overhaul Medicare, GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan took a deeply personal approach Saturday morning in...

  • Grexit debate stirs in Germany ahead of Greek PM visit

    By Reuters

    BERLIN (Reuters) - Greece will not leave the euro zone unless the country "totally refuses" to fulfill any of its reform targets, the head of the Eurogroup said on Saturday, as Germany insisted the...

  • Budget breather for Greece would spur economic recovery: report

    Budget breather for Greece would spur economic recovery: report

    By Reuters

    ATHENS (Reuters) - Finance ministry officials in Greece have calculated that the debt-stricken country's economy will recover faster and its debt be more sustainable if it is given two more years to...

  • U.S. tightens reins on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

    U.S. tightens reins on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

    By Rachelle Younglai, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury on Friday revamped the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to curb chances the giant mortgage finance firms could emerge from government control as the...

  • Company healthcare

    Incentives Spike Fee-for-Service Health Costs

    By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times

    Add “upcoding” to the long list of perverse incentives created by fee-for-service medicine that are undermining efforts at controlling health care costs in this country.