U.S. government shuts down for the second time in 2018

Feb 8, 2018
The shutdown came after Kentucky Senator Rand Paul blocked a vote on the budget plan.
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Republicans want $700 billion in defense spending next year. Can they get the Democrats on board?

Dec 12, 2017
President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act today. It calls for around $700 billion in defense spending for fiscal year 2018. That would blow right through the spending caps Congress agreed to back in 2011. Congress has to vote to modify those caps, if it wants to spend this much money on defense. […]

Study finds that for many states, public education funding still hasn’t come back to pre-Recession levels

Nov 29, 2017
It’s been a decade since the Great Recession, and while a lot of things in the economy have recovered, state funding for public schools is still lagging behind pre-Recession levels, after accounting for inflation. That’s according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank that focuses on ways that federal and state […]

Looming budget fight could slow GOP push for tax reform

Mar 28, 2017
Following the collapse of the House GOP health plan, President Trump and congressional Republicans say they will now pivot to tax reform. But they have got some serious heavy lifting to do before they get there. The appropriations bill passed last November expires at the end of April. With Republicans divided, the GOP may now […]

The government may want a refund for its $30 billion investment in electronic medical records

Apr 14, 2016
A new study has found many electronic records to be incomplete.
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Congress’ latest fiscal buzzword: ‘Cromnibus’

Dec 1, 2014
Hybrid word combines “omnibus” spending bill and a continuing resolution, or “CR” – two funding stopgaps.

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The unexpected budget lines

Nov 3, 2014
Experts say the federal budget is likely to be punctuated with new, previously unexpected spending.

'Stopgap' government frustrates feds and businesses

Jul 15, 2014
Governing by crisis makes the federal government wasteful and inefficient.

Can the government take on good and bad debt?

Oct 4, 2013
For personal purposes, there is a difference between 'good debt' and 'bad debt' -- but can the government make the same distinction?
The recently reopened San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
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