We've Already Blown Past Last Year's Federal Budget Deficit
The $866 billion budget gap so far this fiscal year represents a 27 percent increase over the same period last year.
Deficits
Democrats Debate To Determine Who Will Spend Us Into Oblivion
The idea that "deficits don't matter" has been growing among Trump-supporting Republicans. Democrats are preparing to take full advantage.
There's No Such Thing as 'Free Money' or Meaningless Deficits
As debt soars, federal payments to service the debt will crowd out the government's core spending responsibilities.
The Senate Will Vote on a $2.7 Trillion Budget Deal That Adds to the National Debt. The Democrats' Debates Ignored It.
CNN doesn't think Americans deserve to hear potential presidents asked about the national debt.
The Terrible Thing That Trump and Elijah Cummings Agree On
While the president was launching yet another culture war, the combatants were agreeing to blow the federal budget sky high.
The House Just Passed a Budget Deal That Will Add $1.7 Trillion to the National Debt
Members of Congress are well aware of the looming threat of the $22 trillion (and growing) national debt, but seem incapable of doing anything except making it worse.
Mass Protests Force the Resignation of Puerto Rico's Scandal-Plagued Governor
The island's residents have had enough of a territorial government tainted by corruption and that is seemingly contemptuous of their daily struggles.
Can the Freedom Caucus Convince Trump to Derail This Awful Budget Deal? If Not, Fiscal Conservatism Is Truly Dead.
The House Freedom Caucus could reverse its trend towards irrelevancy by successfully swaying Trump to turn against the new budget deal.
Possible Budget Deal Will Add $2 Trillion to the National Debt
If President Donald Trump signs the deal into law, he will have authorized a 22 percent increase in federal discretionary spending during his first term in office.
Pelosi Rejects Plan to Cut Spending by Less Than 0.3 Percent
The federal government will spend $57 trillion over the next 10 years and run an $11 trillion deficit. But cutting spending by $150 billion is too much to ask?
Republicans Are the Party of Trillion-Dollar Deficits
If Mark Sanford wants to run a presidential campaign on restraining federal spending, he's in the wrong party.
Rush Limbaugh Abandons Fiscal Conservatism
The pundit heavily criticized President Obama for excessive spending. Now he says it doesn't matter.
Democrats Are Terrified of Their Own Non-Socialism
Those who disagree with Elizabeth Warren's economics tried really hard not to say so during the Dems' first presidential debate
Will Any Democratic Debater Acknowledge Math?
Early debates actually tell us a good deal about where political parties are heading.
Man, This CBO Report About 'Unprecedented' Debt Levels Is a Bummer
The national debt will hit 140 percent of GDP before the end of the 2040s, and that's the optimistic scenario.
(We Didn't) Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran…Yet
Parsing Trump's foreign policy, economic theories, and ideological relationship with the 2020 Democratic field
Lives Ruined for Petty Crimes
A new book explores how America's criminal justice system heaps debts on those who can't possibly pay.
Deficit Politics May Have Gone Away, but Debt and Deficits Are Worse Than Ever
The federal budget situation used to be an emergency. What happened?
Mick Mulvaney Turns His Back on Fiscal Responsibility
"Show me the majority for cutting spending," he says.
Bipartisan Senate Effort Predictably Kills Rand Paul's Plan to Balance the Federal Budget
Paul's proposal to cut 2 percent from the federal budget for the next five years was predictably opposed by both Democrats and most Republicans
House Freedom Caucus Too Busy Scolding Justin Amash To Care About Today's Bipartisan Budget Apocalypse
What's the point of a "limited government" bloc that doesn't limit government?
Democratic Contenders Apologize for Everything Except Their Lousy Economic Policies
Being a presidential candidate means never having to say sorry for heavy-handed proposals to limit choice and promise free stuff.
GAO: Current Federal Fiscal Situation Is 'Unsustainable'
America will face "serious economic, security, and social challenges" if the national debt keeps growing at this rate.
Everybody Hates Howard Schultz
Behind the usual partisan contempt for deficit-minded centrism lies an accurate critique that the billionaire outsider has naive, do-something ideas.
February's Budget Deficit Was the Largest in American History
The feds are $234 billion in the red. Looking for hope? Sen. Mike Enzi has some ideas.
Netflix's Love, Death and Robots Is a Sci-Fi Demo Reel For the Untapped Potential of Animation
An anthology series about sad salesmen, space marines, super-intelligent yogurt, and the national debt
Trump's New Budget Uses More Realistic Assumptions Than His Predecessors' Did
Trump's budget projects 10 straight years of 3 percent growth. If this forecast fails to materialize, it will make the budget deficits worse than projected.
The 4 Contradictions of Beto O'Rourke
He's a free trader against dumping, a deficit hawk for Medicare expansion, and an anti-drug warrior who wants to imprison pharma execs.
Beto O'Rourke, 2012: 'We Cannot Continue to Spend Ourselves into Ruin'
The 2020 presidential candidate ran on spending cuts, troop withdrawls, and means-testing Social Security while primarying an incumbent Democrat 7 years ago.
Trump's Budget Effectively Guarantees Trillion-Dollar Deficits Until 2030
Once you get past the rosy economic expectations, it's clear that Trump's budget is not a serious effort at fiscal restraint.
Trump's Budget Would Add $7.9 Trillion to the National Debt Over the Next Decade
And the real outcome is likely to be worse, since the budget relies on overly rosy assumptions about future economic growth.
Can a Self-Described 'Capitalist' Win the 2020 Democratic Primary?
Beto O'Rourke-who won't call himself a "progressive," let alone a "democratic socialist"-is expected to jump into the presidential race.
Forget Paying for Medicare for All—We Can't Pay for the Medicare We Have
A new report predicts Medicare spending will rise faster than private health care spending.
New Bipartisan Spending Deal Includes Billions More for Border Barriers, TSA, and Everything In Between
With the federal government $22 trillion in debt, Congress has decided to spend more money.
National Debt Hits a New Record High: $22 Trillion
A new record, but one that won't stand for long.
When it Comes To Debt, Politicians and Academics Are All Like, 'What, Me Worry?'
From OMB head Mick Mulvaney to former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, nobody cares about spending money we don't have on things we don't need. Big mistake.
What Was Missing From Trump's State of the Union? America's $1 Trillion Deficit
Or the $22 trillion (and counting) national debt. Or the entitlement programs that will continue adding to them.
CBO: Budget Deficit Numbers Are Better Than Expected, but We're Still Screwed
Unless we make some big changes, things won't get much better.
New Chinese App Lets Users ID Debtors Lurking Nearby
How would you like it if nearby strangers could instantly access your credit score on their phones?
Mitch McConnell Predicted the GOP Tax Cut Would Raise Revenue and Reduce the Deficit. Nope.
A year after the tax law, growth is up but tax revenue is down.
Increasing Top Tax Brackets Is Easier Than Increasing Revenue Over Time
Proponents of jacking top marginal income tax rates such as AOC ignore how hard it is to actually boost revenue over the long haul.
Most Americans Want Congress to Fix Budget Crisis, Increase Spending. Huh?
You can't have it both ways.
The National Debt Hit $22 Trillion at the End of 2018
Growth alone won't get us out of this mess.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wants Democrats to Drop the Pretense of Fiscal Responsibility
The fight over PAYGO is about whether Democrats will pretend to care about the deficit.
Manhattan Institute's Brian Riedl Is Very Worried About Deficits
Our fiscal problems aren't going away. In fact, they're getting worse.
Mark Sanford's Farewell: Spending and Debt 'Could Lead to a Future Hitler-like Character'
Departing congressman warns against populism, "cult of personality," "post-truth" politics, and a government spending addiction that threatens to drive the American civilization "extinct."
A Deficit-Happy Government May Lead to a Debt-Driven Financial Crisis
Get ready for permanent low growth, a stifled entrepreneurial spirit, and high unemployment.
