Don't Panic Over Federal Cuts for Homeless Programs
The federal cuts amount to little more than a rounding error in most state or big city budgets.
Budget cuts
Trump's $4.9 Billion 'Pocket Rescission' Violates Federal Law and Usurps Congressional Authority
Congress holds the power of the purse in our system of government, and further eroding congressional responsibility for spending decisions will not end well.
Audit Finds $400 Million in Questionable Lease Spending After Maryland's Governor Bragged About Savings
A costly lease for the Maryland Department of Health, along with other findings in a state audit, raises questions about the millions in savings touted by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
Debunking the 100,000 Medicaid Deaths Myth
Partisan pundits are misreading statistical estimates and misrepresenting the science to suggest that Trump's Medicaid cuts will kill 100,000 people. That claim doesn’t survive scrutiny.
The Rescission Bill Reveals How Difficult It Is To Get Congress To Make Even Tiny Spending Cuts
The bill, which could pass the Senate on Wednesday, would trim 13 cents from every $100 of federal spending.
The Gutting of the National Park Service
Plus: An attack on pro-Israel protesters in Colorado, a conservative wins Poland's presidential elections, and more...
Why DOGE Failed
Elon Musk promised $2 trillion in cuts but delivered only a tiny portion of that total. We asked seven policy experts to explain what he got wrong.
Elon Musk Discovers That Serious Spending Cuts Are 'Really Difficult'
As he shifts his focus away from DOGE, he acknowledges the need for hard choices and congressional action.
Trump Says His Budget Proposal Will End the 'Green New Scam'
The budget proposal calls for gutting federal energy funding and environmental justice initiatives.
Trump's Budget Calls for $17 Billion Cut to NIH, Citing Lax Oversight of Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan
The White House budget plan says the agency's failure to prove it was not complicit in a possible lab leak shows it's "too big and unfocused."
Even by Elon Musk's Own Demonstrably Unreliable Estimation, DOGE Will Fall Far Short of His Target
The cost cutter's current projection of annual "savings" is 85 percent lower than the goal he set two months ago—and even that number can't be trusted.
Gold Tops $3,000
Despite efforts to rein in government debt, gold prices keep rising—suggesting investors aren’t buying the promises of fiscal responsibility.
Elon Musk, Who Promised To Be 'Maximally Transparent,' Makes DOGE's Numbers Even Harder To Check
The cost-cutting initiative's calculation of "estimated savings" is mostly mysterious, and the parts we know about are riddled with errors.
Is This the Beginning of the End for the Department of Education?
The department laid off over 1,300 employees this week.
Congress and DOGE Can Find Spending Cuts at the Department of Defense
The U.S. can defend itself at a lot less expense.
Republicans May Regret Undermining Judicial Independence
Threats to impeach federal judges who rule against the government are a naked attack on their constitutionally crucial function.
Contrary to What Trump Said, Even DOGE Does Not Claim To Have Identified 'Hundreds of Billions' in Fraud
The president's assertion is divorced from reality, and so are the "estimated savings" touted by Elon Musk.
DOGE and Congress Should Take a Chainsaw to Corporate Welfare
Handouts to corporations distort the market, breed corruption, and politicize the economy.
The House GOP Budget Blueprint Promises More Borrowing, More Debt, and Not Enough Spending Cuts
"If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better," says Rep. Thomas Massie. He's right.
Will Elon Musk Cut as Much Government as Al Gore Did?
In the early 1990s, Bill Clinton's administration set out to "reinvent" government. What can the mercurial Tesla CEO learn from their efforts?
Has DOGE Already Lost Its Way?
Much cutting. Very waste. But the Department of Government Efficiency might not have the legal and budgetary chops to actually reduce spending.
America Is Going Broke. Will the Department of Government Efficiency Help?
Eliminating the deficit requires cutting the biggest spending—defense, Medicare, Social Security. So far, Trump says he won't touch those.
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Sets Up Another GOP Budget Showdown
Almost exactly one year after Congress swore off self-inflicted fiscal crises, we're back to the same tired theatrics.
Finding Trillions in Federal Cuts Is Easy. But Will Trump and Musk Follow Through?
DOGE won't necessarily have to kill any of Republicans’ sacred cows—but they will have to be put on a diet.
Promises To Cut $2 Trillion Clash with Trump's Expensive Plans
Ambitious budget cuts will meet political reality in Trump’s second administration.
DOGE Can Succeed by Scaling Back Its Ambitions
The new advisory group promises bold savings and massive spending cuts, but without any expertise in the federal budget, it’s likely to be all bark and no bite.
The Impact of Trump's Cost-Cutting Initiative Hinges on What He Means by 'Government Efficiency'
Narrowly understood, the president-elect's familiar-sounding plan to tackle "massive waste and fraud" may not give us "smaller government" in any meaningful sense.
How Donald Trump and Elon Musk Could Cut $2 Trillion in Government Spending
If Musk is truly serious about fiscal discipline, he'll advise the president-elect to eschew many of the policies he promised on the campaign trail.
Rand Paul's Plans To Balance the Budget Are a Useful Illustration of Congress' Addiction To Borrowing
The budget could be balanced by cutting just six pennies from every dollar the government spends. It used to require even less.
We Showed Trump Voters the National Debt
We asked delegates at the Republican National Convention whether a second Trump term would address America's debt problem.
New Budget Deal Includes $12 Billion 'Cut' That Doesn't Actually Cut Anything
Anatomy of a budget gimmick.
Is Another Government Shutdown Coming?
Next week, Congress will have to choose between a rushed omnibus bill or a long-term continuing resolution that comes with a possible 1 percent spending cut.
University Budget Cuts Were Overdue
Several large public universities are getting multimillion dollar budget cuts.
Congress Is Still Using 'Emergency Spending' on Non-Emergencies
Since Congress won't cut spending, an independent commission may be the only way to rein in the debt.
Politicians Continue To Make a Mockery of 'Emergency Spending'
Legislators abuse the emergency label to push through spending that would otherwise violate budget constraints.
The Next President Needs To Cut Spending
At a minimum, the national debt should be smaller than the size of the economy. A committed president just might be able to deliver.
There Is No Party of Immigration in American Politics
Plus: A listener question concerning the key to a libertarian future—should we reshape current systems or rely upon technological exits like bitcoin and encryption?
Joe Biden Wants 4 More Years 'To Finish the Job.' What Job?
Plus: A listener question scrutinizing current attitudes toward executive power
The House GOP Debt Ceiling Plan Would Restore Spending Caps. Good.
The most important part of the Limit, Grow, Save Act is the limits.
New York Lawmakers Want To Use a 'Netflix Tax' To Pay for the Subway
From delivery fees to streaming taxes, New York can’t stomach having MTA users actually pay for the system themselves.
To Balance the Budget, Republicans Must Cut Military Spending, Trim Entitlements, or Raise Taxes
If Republicans refuse to gore their three sacred cows, a new CBO report shows that balancing the budget is literally impossible.
Ridiculous Spending on Museums May Be Here To Stay
Handouts for tourist-trap museums will be part of the federal funding battleground in the next two years.
Republicans and Democrats Face Impasse Over Cutting Spending Versus Raising Taxes
Plus: Court denies motion to suppress January 6 geofence warrant, Texas may ban some immigrants from buying property, and more...
Are We Making Any Progress on Police Brutality?
Plus: The editors consider the ongoing debt ceiling drama and answer a listener question about ending the war on drugs.
If Republicans Want To Cut Spending, They Should Start With the Pentagon
Sen. Rand Paul says Republicans "have to give up the sacred cow" of military spending in order to make a deal that will address the debt ceiling and balance the budget.
Cutting Government Back to Last Year's Size Shouldn't Be 'Impossible' or 'Severe'
Taking stock of the utterly unserious fiscal policy discourse in Washington.
Whatever the Fate of the Fair Tax Act, Congress Should Still Abolish the IRS
Getting rid of the much-despised tax agency would be a good idea. It’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.
