After Moody's Warning, Federal Officials Continue To Ignore Fiscal Reality
Moody's calculates that interest payments on the national debt will consume over a quarter of federal tax revenue by 2033, up from just 9 percent last year.
Moody's calculates that interest payments on the national debt will consume over a quarter of federal tax revenue by 2033, up from just 9 percent last year.
In the last 50 years, when the budget process has been in place, Congress has managed only four times to pass a budget on time.
"The United States has about 20 years for corrective action after which no amount of future tax increases or spending cuts could avoid the government defaulting on its debt."
Years ago, when interest rates were low, calls for the federal government to exercise fiscal restraint were dismissed. That was unwise.
Entitlement reform has long been considered a third rail in American politics, but that perspective might be changing.
Congress is being asked to borrow more money to fund broadband access and other pet projects. Only about $9 billion would be spent on natural disaster recovery efforts.
A debt commission won't solve any of the federal government's fiscal problems, but it's the first step towards taking them seriously.
Over the last several years, they have worked nonstop to ease the tax burden of their high-income constituents.
Higher rates lead to more debt, and more debt begets higher rates, and on and on. Get the picture?
Especially because the once-dismissed possibility of rising rates is now a reality.
The Federal Reserve's higher interest rates were supposed to trigger changes to fiscal policy. So far, that hasn't happened.
Those sounding the loudest alarms about possible shutdowns are largely silent when Congress ignores its own budgetary rules. All that seems to matter is that government is metaphorically funded.
Rising bond yields mean the national debt is going to be a lot more expensive in the next few years, and we just keep adding to it.
The Senate is an incompetent laughingstock regardless of what its members wear.
Until Congress is willing to acknowledge that it makes no sense to send monthly checks to wealthy seniors, everything else will be on the chopping block.
Plus: A listener asks whether younger generations are capable of passing reforms to entitlement spending.
Fiscal irresponsibility might eventually shut down the government, but at the moment it’s all for show.
The big spending has fueled higher inflation, resulted in larger-than-projected deficits, and contributed to a record level of debt.
It's not the first time that has happened, but there are key differences about what happened this year.
Since Congress won't cut spending, an independent commission may be the only way to rein in the debt.
Plus: Separating child poverty facts from fiction, EU will ban payments for sperm and blood, and more...
America’s biggest fiscal challenge lies in the unchecked growth of federal health care and old-age entitlement programs.
Short-term solutions and governing from crisis to crisis isn't working.
Plus: The doubling of the deficit, young Americans souring on college, and more...
The country's current struggles show the problems of the Beijing way—and make the case for freedom.
Legislators abuse the emergency label to push through spending that would otherwise violate budget constraints.
"Donald Trump added $8 trillion to our debt," Haley said during the opening moments of Wednesday's first Republican primary debate.
Federal officials ignore repeated warnings, and we all pay the price.
The lack of oversight and the general absence of a long-term vision is creating inefficiency, waste, and red ink as far as the eye can see.
Though an improvement over his obsession with wokeness and culture wars, DeSantis can't seem to ditch the populist demagoguery.
Since Congress designed and implemented the last budget process in 1974, only on four occasions have all of the appropriations bills for discretionary spending been passed on time.
The national debt has ballooned from $14 trillion to $32 trillion in a little over a decade.
The plan's supporters say it won't push costs onto taxpayers.
Balanced federal budgets aren’t even considered as a possibility.
New legislation would intervene in the credit card market to help businesses like Target and Walmart, who don't like the fees they have to pay to accept credit card payments.
The federal budget deficit has exploded under Biden's watch, and he can no longer pretend otherwise.
The administration’s SAVE plan for student loan forgiveness is estimated to cost $475 billion.
Plus: Does Tom Cruise really do all of his own stunts?
It's a familiar program. And it will result in higher prices, slower growth, and fewer jobs.
Plus: Teaching A.I. about the Fourth of July, and more...
The fight over the debt ceiling has foreshadowed how the policy debates of the presidential election cycle are likely to go.
At a minimum, the national debt should be smaller than the size of the economy. A committed president just might be able to deliver.
A new Congressional Budget Office report warns of "significant economic and financial consequences" caused by the federal government's reckless borrowing.
Plus: Was Gerald Ford right to pardon Richard Nixon?
Unlike Democrats, Senate and House Republicans have released proposals that would actually tackle the root causes of increasing student loan debt.
Projections of huge savings are making the rounds. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Do you care about free minds and free markets? Sign up to get the biggest stories from Reason in your inbox every afternoon.
This modal will close in 10