Budget debate

Congress had to pass a budget bill to avoid a shutdown this week. It also had to lift the debt limit or risk the government running out of money in March. So lawmakers packaged the bills. But they aren’t just doubling up on legislation, they’re doubling down on the national debt.   Click the audio […]

Of course, the Senate deal has to be approved by the House and signed by President Donald Trump. But, assuming that happens, we wouldn’t have to worry about shutdowns or continuing resolutions until the end of fiscal 2019. So what then would a two-year spending plan mean for the federal government?  Click the audio player […]

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget is known as the skinny budget, the basic outline of what the president’s priorities are. It’s a bit like an expanded version of one of his tweets. It’s a long way from what the actual budget will be, but it is a window into his thinking when it comes to […]

President Donald Trump is set to release a so-called “skinny budget” this week. However, Congress has a more pressing money issue. On Wednesday, we bump up against the debt ceiling. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

Committee work has begun on the process of marking up the GOP alternative to the Affordable Care Act. But while Obamacare took months to craft, Republican lawmakers are trying to move through their repeal-and-replace bill much swifter. Committee markup on a bill of this size would normally take weeks, but in this case, Republicans are […]

Congress is awaiting President Donald Trump’s budget proposal with the details about his vision of government, and some preliminary elements of that plan are trickling out. According to some reports, the Environmental Protection Agency may lose as much as a quarter of its budget. And the energy and environmental publication E&E News says that one of […]

'Welfare' used to simply mean 'well-being'. These days it often has negative connotations and multiple meanings.