Surrendering on COVID Spending Is a Predictable, Fitting End for Trump's Tenure
One of the underappreciated failures of the Trump presidency is his squandering of an incredibly rare opportunity to reset how Washington operates.
Stimulus
Employed, Middle Class Americans Don't Need More 'Free' Stimulus Money
But they're almost certainly going to get some.
Trump Threatens to Sink COVID-19 Relief Bill Unless Congress Cuts Wasteful Spending, Spends More on $2,000 Stimulus Checks
"It truly is a disgrace," said Trump.
Congress Blocks School Choice in New Stimulus Package
Even as the pandemic has exposed the desperate need for disruptions to the calcified public school system, Congress just voted to restrict some of the very creativity that's sorely needed.
Government by 'Harrison Bergeron'
From pandemic relief to public schools, wealth taxes to COVID vaccines, politicians are finding bad ways to redistribute the pie.
Deal Reached To Tack $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief Package on to Spending Bill
Plus: 1 in 5 prisoners has had COVID-19, Supreme Court won't stop undocumented immigrant exclusion from Census, and more...
'Checks for All' Prioritized Over Unemployment Benefits in Latest COVID-19 Relief Bill
Plus: The FDA approves a new rapid at-home COVID-19 test, lockdowns in Victoria, Australia ruled a human rights abuse, and more...
Congress Could Pass a $900 Billion COVID Stimulus Bill This Week. Or There Might Be a Government Shutdown.
Unsettled political circumstances and the ongoing pandemic crossed with Congress' broken bill-passing process is a recipe for chaos.
Shootings, Stabbings Mar a Weekend of Pro-Trump Protests
Plus: Vaccine distribution begins, stimulus talks continue, and more...
Bernie Sanders, Josh Hawley Join Forces in Push For Another Round of $1,200 Stimulus Checks
The strange alliance proves once again that the one thing politicians can agree on is spending taxpayers' money.
On the Art of 'Stimulus' Spending With Trump and Pelosi
The president might just be the world's worst negotiator.
The Next COVID Stimulus Bill Could Cost Trillions of Dollars or Might Not Happen at All
There's a fox, a goose, and a bag of grain. And a hippopotamus in the middle of the river.
Donald Trump Switches Positions Again, Says Stimulus Negotiations Are Back On
The president's erraticism and Senate Republican opposition might save taxpayers from having to shell out for another 10-digit relief package.
Democrats and the White House Were Nearing an Agreement on Renter, Homeowner Assistance. Then Trump Tweeted.
House Democrats had approved $71 billion in assistance to homeowners and renters. The White House said it would agree to $60 billion. Now they'll get $0.
No Stimulus Before the Election, Trump Says, but Expect More Spending No Matter Who Wins
It is an abrupt reversal for Trump, who as recently as Saturday had voiced his support for another stimulus package.
After the Stimulus Binge, Brace for a Crash
Skyrocketing debt, higher borrowing costs, and a hobbled economy are predicted in the latest Congressional Budget Office report.
Trump Wants More Stimulus Spending. Biden Wants a National Mask Mandate. Both Are Wrong.
Is it too much to ask for a presidential candidate who cares about America's fiscal health and respects the limits of his office?
A Payroll Tax Holiday Is No Free Lunch
Forgiving payroll taxes is a bad way of stimulating the economy and would leave Social Security benefits underfunded.
Want To Boost Economic Growth? Tell Government To Spend Less
Research suggests reducing spending will boost consumption in the short- and long-run.
A Coronavirus Bailout Won't Save (or Fix) the USPS
The postal service stands to lose $13 billion this year. But this is an ongoing trend, not a new problem created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Republicans, Democrats Debate Whether Next Relief Bill Should Be $1 Trillion or $2 Trillion
Plus: Uber, Lyft threaten to suspend California operations following court decision; New Zealand reimposes lockdown measures in response to new COVID-19 cases; and Kamala Harris's hawkish foreign policy
The Next Coronavirus Stimulus Plan: More Spending, Smaller Unemployment Benefits, and Tax Breaks for Going Out To Eat
Senate Republicans announced Monday that the federal government will pay an additional $200 per week in unemployment benefits. The $600 per week benefits boost will expire on July 31.
Coronavirus, Protests, and Policing Expose Government Failure at Every Level
The summer of 2020 got a lot crappier over the weekend, according to the Reason Roundtable podcast.
Rand Paul on Republican Plans for Another Coronavirus Stimulus Bill: 'They Simply Don't Care About the Debt'
Congress is currently debating what should be included in the next trillion-dollar (and counting) stimulus bill, but nothing is likely to pass this week.
Trump Administration Data Claims Coronavirus Relief Program Saved Tens of Thousands of Jobs That Probably Don't Exist
White House brags about the supposed success of the coronavirus relief program are based on shoddy data.
Has the U.S. Government Finally Spent Too Much?
When COVID-19 arrived in America, Uncle Sam was already deep in debt.
Did Trump's Coronavirus Stimulus Save 51 Million Jobs? The Claim Relies on Shaky Math and Questionable Economics.
Even if it's true, taxpayers paid $58,000 for each saved job.
The Pandemic's Economic Carnage Looks Worse Than Expected
Get ready for more pain caused by COVID-19 as well as by the policies intended to hold it in check.
The Feds Sent More than 1 Million Coronavirus Stimulus Payments to Dead People, GAO Says
As much as $1.4 billion might have been paid to deceased Americans. The IRS says that money must be returned.
Trump Administration Says Identities of Coronavirus Stimulus Loan Recipients Are 'Confidential'
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says that information is confidential. Government watchdogs say that excuse is bogus.
Do You Feel $9,000 Richer, Punk?
The bad policy and worse politics of coronavirus stimulus spending
The Next Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Is Here. It's a $3 Trillion Spending Plan That Bails Out States and the Post Office.
The new bill includes another round of stimulus checks for all Americans, funds additional coronavirus testing, and spends billions to bail out states and government agencies straining under pension debt.
Have We Crossed the Threshold of Doom?
The Reason Roundtable discusses eternal New Deals, multi-trillion-dollar mistakes, and sobbing face-first in the parking lot of life. Happy Monday!
America Wasn't Ready for Coronavirus
Early takeaways from the country's response to a pandemic
Here's Why Rep. Justin Amash Opposes the CARES Act
The libertarian-leaning congressman says the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses discriminates against those that most need it.
The Next Stimulus: Infrastructure Week, Another Rural Broadband Boondoggle, and Maybe a Sports Bailout?
It's obvious that there will be more government spending in response to the coronavirus, but distinguishing the essential from the nice-to-have is more important than ever.
Senate Approves Fourth Round of Coronavirus Spending: $484 Billion for Small Businesses, Testing, Hospitals
The deal primarily sets aside $320 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses.
There Is Literally One Guy Overseeing Nearly $500 Billion of Emergency Coronavirus Spending
He has no colleagues or staff, but he's supposed to provide oversight on $454 billion in coronavirus spending—nearly equal to the annual budget for Medicare.
Budget Deficit Now Expected To Near $4 Trillion This Year
And more coronavirus stimulus spending could send that number soaring higher.
4 Reasons Small Businesses Are Struggling With the Paycheck Protection Program
Unclear terms, unrealistic loan forgiveness, a site unprepared for launch, and a bottomless demand for cash
Remy: Savage (Megan Thee Stallion Coronavirus Bailout Parody)
The last time we sent this much money to the Kennedy Center, it was for a pair of Hamilton tickets.
Are There Fiscal Conservatives in a Pandemic? The Club for Growth Says It Doesn't Matter.
The Club for Growth prides itself on holding lawmakers accountable "by publicizing their voting record." Except, well…not right now.
The Senate's COVID-19 Relief Bill Is a Crony Capitalist Dream
Plus: COVID-19 in prisons and jails, Trump campaign threatens TV stations, state disparities in new coronavirus cases, and more...
Lawmakers, White House Finalize $2 Trillion Coronavirus Stimulus: 'The Largest Main Street Financial Package' in U.S. History
The package doubled in cost over the course of the negotiations.
The Most Libertarian Congressman Wants To Send People Checks. Here's Why.
"Americans need fast, direct relief," says Justin Amash.
'It's a Very Large Package': Coronavirus Stimulus Plan Now Costs More Than $1 Trillion
Lawmakers are still seeking a compromise.
Republicans' New $1 Trillion Stimulus: Keep the Corporate Bailouts, Limit Checks for All
The new plan seeks to help an economy decimated by the coronavirus.
Don't Expect Millions To Die From Coronavirus, Says Richard Epstein
The NYU Law professor thinks we're in for a mess of bad epidemiology, ineffective stimulus, and misguided quarantines.
