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The Definitive Congressional Appropriations History Database
A database documenting how Congress completed regular annual appropriations from FY1977 through FY2026, including funding outcomes, legislative vehicles, enactment dates, continuing resolutions, and funding gaps.
Chart of the Week: Projecting the Debt Limit X-Date
Congress will likely need to increase the national debt limit by New Year’s Day 2028, before the X-Date.
Budget Policy Deadlines
A calendar of statutory expirations, authorizations, and program changes scheduled across the federal budget.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The Evaporating Convenience Yield Means Interest Costs Could Increase Significantly
Eroding demand for Treasuries’ safe-asset privilege could raise interest costs sharply, making deficit reduction more urgent.
The Budget Process Must Confront the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow
The budget process must be modernized to confront debt, trust fund insolvency, weak transparency, and outdated scoring rules.
The Definitive Congressional Appropriations History Database
Introduces the Definitive Congressional Appropriations History Database and explains its appropriations outcomes, final funding laws, and annual summary tables.
Pocket Rescissions Proposal Would Unilaterally Reduce Spending by $810 Million
President Trump has proposed $810 million of new pocket rescissions to cancel funding for controversial activities, such as benefits for illegal aliens and non-citizens, climate change, and race-based programs.
Chart of the Week: Interest Rates Are Running Well Above CBO’s Projections
The 10-year Treasury yield reached 5.18% on September 24, 2026, more than one percentage point above CBO’s projected third-quarter average of 4.16%. Persistently higher interest rates would raise federal borrowing costs; CBO’s rule-of-thumb estimates imply $3.7 trillion in additional deficits over FY 2027–2036 if rates remain one percentage point above baseline.
50 Years of Appropriations Process Dysfunction
Congress has completed all regular appropriations by the start of the fiscal year only four times in the 50 years of the modern budget process. The analysis documents chronic delays, reliance on continuing resolutions and consolidated packages, funding gaps, and the case for modernizing the federal budget process.
Chart of the Week: Social Security Taxes Are Much Higher than What Was Promised
The Social Security payroll tax has risen substantially from its original rate to 12.4 percent of covered earnings today. The chart traces the growth of the employee and employer tax rates and compares the modern tax burden with the program’s original design and early assurances about payroll taxation.
Chart of the Week: Major Programs and Interest Costs are Pushing Spending Higher
Federal spending through August FY 2026 increased substantially from the prior year, with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and net interest accounting for much of the growth. The chart illustrates how major mandatory programs and rising interest costs continue to put upward pressure on federal outlays.
Chart of the Week: 50 Years of “Regular Order” Appropriations: Completes Work On Time Four Times, 210 Continuing Resolutions
Congress has enacted all regular appropriations bills by the fiscal-year deadline only four times since FY1977 and has relied on 210 continuing resolutions. The record shows that chronic delays and CRs are longstanding features of the modern congressional budget process.
House FY 2027 Appropriation Bills Include Nearly $14 Billion of Rescissions That Could Be Used for Deficit Reduction
The House’s fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills include 51 rescissions totaling at least $13.7 billion in budget authority. These rescissions cancel previously enacted funding, but, rather than using those savings to reduce the deficit, the cuts are being used as offsets for higher spending elsewhere in the bills.
Chart of the Week: Leveraged Hedge Funds Absorbing More Treasury Debt
Hedge funds now hold an estimated $2 trillion in U.S. Treasury debt, increasing reliance on highly leveraged investors and raising risks of forced selling, market instability, and future Federal Reserve intervention.
Continuing Resolutions Are a Symptom of a Broken Budget Process
Continuing resolutions are a symptom of a broken process. The solution is not simply to restore the process of the past, but to modernize it for the fiscal challenges Congress faces today.
Stop Delaying SNAP Reform
Congress should strengthen the cost-sharing requirement, not further delay its implementation.
How Congress Should Respond to the Debt Limit
Congress should responsibly increase the debt limit before the Treasury loses the ability to make federal payments on time. But lawmakers should pair that debt limit increase with meaningful reforms to slow the growth of federal spending and put the budget on a more sustainable trajectory.
Projecting the Debt Limit
Congress will likely need to increase the national debt limit by New Year’s Day 2028. The federal government is likely to reach the statutory debt limit by May 2027. The X-Date, when the Treasury would no longer have sufficient fiscal resources to make all required payments on time, will likely occur by February 2028.
The National Debt Hits $40 Trillion
The national debt hits $40 trillion.
The Road to $40 Trillion in Debt
Federal debt is on track to cross $40 trillion. This infographic traces how it got there.
Chart of the Week: CBO Ups the Deficit Projection
The Congressional Budget Office announced a 13% increase to its deficit projection for fiscal year 2026 in its recent July Monthly Budget Review.
Chart of the Week: Treasury’s Large Cash on Hand Balance, and Implications for the Debt Limit and the Fed
Treasury’s growing cash balance has turned the Treasury General Account into a major source of financial system liquidity swings, complicating Federal Reserve balance sheet policy during debt-limit episodes.
Farm Bill Should Target Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
The Farm Bill should build on One Big Beautiful Bill, with a focus on addressing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal nutrition programs.
The Senate CR and the Shutdown Threat
Taxpayers may be concerned that the Senate CR is not a purely “clean” extension of current policy. Allowing unrelated policy demands to ride on must-pass funding legislation would further weaken the taboo against shutdown threats and make future appropriations fights even more difficult.
Chart of the Week: Three Measures of Inflation
CPI, PCE, and the GDP price index show inflation remained elevated in Q2 2026, worsening federal budget pressures and net interest costs.
House FY 2027 Appropriations Would Increase Spending Topline by $162 Billion, Hold Non-Defense Spending Flat
The House FY 2027 appropriations bills would increase net budget authority by $162 billion, driven by a $234 billion increase in base defense funding. The House bills would responsibly reduce base nondefense funding by $9 billion.
Chart of the Week: Rising Interest Costs
The interest costs of financing the federal debt are growing dramatically.
Support Hal Duncan for OMB Deputy Director
Letter supporting Hal Duncan for OMB Deputy Director.
Congress Should Pass the CR Before August Recess
The House should pass a clean FY 2027 continuing resolution before August recess to prevent a shutdown.
Chart of the Week: 161 Days of Shutdowns
In fiscal year 2026, unprecedented political brinksmanship resulted in 161 total days of full or partial federal government shutdowns before full-year agency funding was finalized in June.
Congress Should Use Reconciliation to Crack Down on Food Stamp Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
The Food Stamp program is rife with waste, fraud, and abuse. Congress should use reconciliation to count all Food Stamp fraud, strengthen cost sharing requirements, end incentives for higher error rates, and eliminate the legalized fraud of categorical eligibility.
Chart of the Week: Interest Rates Rising Above CBO Projections
Interest rates are rising above the Congressional Budget Office’s baseline projections.
Interest Rates Rising Above CBO Projections
Interest rates are rising above the Congressional Budget Office’s baseline projections. Higher interest rates would lead to higher federal spending and deficits.
Chart of the Week: 250 Years of Outlays, Revenues, and Debt
The charts show the dramatic changes in federal outlays, revenues, and debt held by the public as a percentage of gross domestic product from 1776 to 2025.
Chart of the Week: Food Stamp Payment Error Rates
USDA’s FY 2025 SNAP payment error data show high improper payments, weak program integrity, and why states should share costs when error rates exceed 6%.
Chart of the Week: Social Security Trust Fund Exhaustion is a Predicable Crisis
For 15 consecutive Trustees Reports, beginning in 2012, OASI depletion has been projected to occur no later than 2035. The gap between the projected insolvency and reporting year has shrunk from more than 50 years away to just six years.
Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds Are Just Years Away from Depletion
The Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds are just years away from being exhausted, which will reduce benefits for current retirees and workers.
Chart of the Week: Refunds Under the Working Families Tax Cuts
After the Working Families Tax Cuts were enacted, more taxpayers received refunds, average refunds grew, and total refunds increased.
Testimony: The Working Families Tax Cuts in Practice: Rewarding Work, Not Washington
Matthew Dickerson Testifies at the House Oversight and Government Reform Roundtable on the Working Families Tax Cuts.
Chart of the Week: Debt Eclipses the Economy
The national debt now exceeds the size of the U.S. economy.
Chart of the Week: Unsustainable Government Spending is the Problem
The federal budget is on an unsustainable trajectory because government spending is growing faster than the economy.
No Bias in the Baseline Act Reintroduced to End CBO Distortions
Congress should fix CBO baseline rules so official cost estimates no longer embed assumptions that favor higher spending and taxes.
The Fiscal State of the Nation Demands Attention
Rising debt, interest costs, and trust fund insolvency show that fiscal sustainability must remain a governing priority.
Reaching a 3% of GDP Deficit Target
A 3 percent of GDP deficit target would require sustained spending restraint, not minor adjustments at the margins.
Fiscal Snapshot One Pager
Federal budget trends show spending and debt remain elevated, underscoring the need for disciplined fiscal choices.
CBO Baseline for FY 2026 Projects Rising Spending, Higher Revenues, and Growing Debt
CBO’s FY 2026 baseline shows spending, deficits, and debt continuing to rise despite higher projected revenues.
Categorical Eligibility Allows Legalized Food Stamp Fraud
Categorical eligibility weakens Food Stamp integrity by letting states bypass income and asset tests that Congress established.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Food Stamp Categorical Eligibility
Food Stamp categorical eligibility expands benefits beyond normal eligibility rules and should be scrutinized for cost and integrity effects.
Federal Agency Shutdown Plans for the Second Partial Shutdown of FY 2026
Agency shutdown plans reveal how much federal activity continues during funding lapses and where Congress should demand clearer accountability.
CBO Promises Congress Analysis of Appropriations Bills – But Only After They Are Enacted
Congress needs appropriations analysis before votes, not after enactment, to make informed decisions about spending bills.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Final FY 2026 Appropriations Levels
Final FY 2026 appropriations increased or sustained spending in ways that should be measured against transparent alternatives.
The Budget Process Can’t Be Overly Prescriptive
Budget process reform should strengthen discipline and accountability without locking Congress into unrealistic procedural straitjackets.
Virtual Federal Budget Reform Forum: Recommendations for Congress
Congress needs budget reforms that make fiscal choices more transparent, sustainable, and accountable across the full federal budget.
Appropriators Have Identified Billions in Potential Rescissions that Could Reduce the Deficit
Appropriators have already identified rescissions that Congress could use to reduce deficits rather than leave savings unrealized.
Interest Spending Tracker: Q1 of FY 2026
Rising net interest costs are consuming budget capacity and should be treated as a central fiscal warning signal.
Concerning Earmarks Remain in the Final Appropriations Minibus
Earmarks remaining in appropriations legislation show why Congress needs stronger transparency and spending discipline.
Reviewing President Trump’s 2025 Fiscal Record
President Trump’s 2025 fiscal record should be judged against baseline expectations for revenues, spending, deficits, and debt.
Transparency Is Necessary to Control Spending
Spending restraint requires better fiscal transparency, including accessible budget data, timely cost estimates, and clearer executive branch reporting.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Key Sources of Budget Data
Reliable budget analysis depends on knowing where to find and how to use official federal fiscal data.
Social Security Exposes The Flaws In The CBO Baseline
Social Security’s trust fund depletion exposes how CBO baseline conventions can mask legal and fiscal constraints.
Upcoming Fiscal Policy Inflection Points
Approaching fiscal deadlines create opportunities and risks for Congress on taxes, spending, sequestration, appropriations, and the debt limit.
Reconciliation Lessons Learned: Build the Budget Resolution Around the Reconciliation Bill, Not the Other Way Around
Successful reconciliation starts with designing the budget resolution around the bill Congress can actually pass.
The Biden COVID Credits Already Had a Three-Year Phase Down
The COVID-era health care credits were already scheduled to phase down, weakening the case for another extension.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Food Stamps During a Shutdown
Food Stamp operations during shutdowns depend on funding mechanics that create practical risks for benefits and administration.
Federal Agency Shutdown Plans
Shutdown plans show which federal workers and activities agencies classify as essential, clarifying what actually stops during lapses.
Stop Funding Nonessential Government Employees
Congress should stop automatically paying nonessential federal employees during shutdowns to improve accountability and reduce costs.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Government Shutdowns
Government shutdowns are driven by appropriations failures, but many services continue under legal exceptions and available funding.
DeLauro-Murray Continuing Resolution Increases Spending by Nearly $1.5 Trillion
The DeLauro-Murray continuing resolution would raise spending substantially by waiving PAYGO cuts instead of enforcing budget discipline.
EPIC EXPLAINER: FY 2026 Appropriations Levels
FY 2026 appropriations debates should be evaluated against clear toplines, caps, and alternative spending paths.
FAQ: Rescissions and the Deficit
Rescissions reduce deficits only when Congress uses them to cancel budget authority rather than recycle savings elsewhere.
FAQ: Does A CR Automatically Extend Funds Congress Previously Rescinded?
A continuing resolution does not automatically restore rescinded funds unless Congress writes that result into law.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Pocket Rescissions
Pocket rescissions depend on timing under the Impoundment Control Act and can change Congress’s practical ability to respond.
Reconciliation 2.0 Can Be a Beautiful Sequel
Congress could use a second reconciliation bill to secure additional spending reforms and deficit reduction.
Let Biden’s COVID Credits Expire
Congress should allow Biden-era COVID health care credits to expire rather than extend costly Obamacare subsidy expansions.
Major Wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill delivered major conservative policy gains across taxes, border security, welfare, energy, and spending.
OBBB Myth vs. Fact: Medicaid “Cuts” Are Just Washington Math
Medicaid savings in the One Big Beautiful Bill reflect program integrity and baseline reforms, not conventional benefit cuts.
OBBB Myth vs. Fact: Food Stamp Savings Don’t “Slash” Spending
Food Stamp savings in the One Big Beautiful Bill slow future growth rather than slash benefits below current levels.
EPIC EXPLAINER: What is the Rescissions Process?
The rescissions process gives Congress a practical tool to cancel unnecessary spending and reduce deficits.
Securing DOGE Savings for the Sake of America
DOGE-identified savings matter only if Congress locks them into law through enforceable spending reductions.
The Fiscal Effects of the Senate Reconciliation Bill
The Senate reconciliation bill’s fiscal effects should be judged by whether it reduces deficits and restrains spending.
Comparing The House And Senate Reconciliation Bills
Differences between House and Senate reconciliation bills reveal important tradeoffs on savings, taxes, welfare, and deficits.
EPIC Table: Comparing House-Passed Food Stamp Policies in the OBBB to Senate Proposal
House-passed Food Stamp reforms were stronger than the Senate proposal on work, accountability, and cost sharing.
RECA Expansion Could Lead to a Looming Cliff
RECA expansion risks creating a future fiscal cliff if temporary spending grows into a larger unresolved commitment.
Senate Reconciliation Bill Violates The Fiscal Framework
The Senate reconciliation bill failed to meet the fiscal framework needed for meaningful deficit reduction.
Testimony by Matthew Dickerson on Rooting Out Waste and Fraud and Restoring the Dignity of Work
Welfare reform should root out waste and fraud while restoring work as the central path out of dependency.
EPIC Infographic: Five Tools Congress Can Use to Control Spending
Congress has multiple tools to control spending, but using them requires deliberate enforcement and political will.
Testimony by Matthew Dickerson on Locking In the DOGE Cuts
DOGE cuts will not endure unless Congress converts administrative savings into statutory rescissions, reconciliation savings, or reforms.
Senate Food Stamp Proposal Makes Important Reforms, But Should Be More Closely Aligned with the House-Passed One Big Beautiful Bill
The Senate Food Stamp proposal made progress, but stronger House reforms better advance work, integrity, and accountability.
Fiscal Effects Of The One Big Beautiful Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill’s fiscal impact depends on whether its spending and tax provisions produce durable savings.
Aligning Medicaid Work Requirements with Proposed Food Stamp Standards
Medicaid work requirements should be aligned with Food Stamp standards to create consistent expectations for able-bodied adults.
The EPIC Medicaid Chartbook
Medicaid data show rising spending, enrollment, and financing problems that should drive welfare reform.
High Tax Salt States Also Subsidized By Medicaid
High-tax states benefit from federal Medicaid subsidies, complicating claims about fairness in SALT and fiscal federalism debates.
Progress In Strengthening Food Stamp Work Requirements
Congress made progress on Food Stamp work requirements but still had room to strengthen standards and limit waivers.
How Congress Can Cut Fat From Food Stamps
Congress can improve Food Stamp accountability by strengthening work requirements and requiring states to share program costs.
Washington Pays More to Cover Medicaid for Healthy Adults than the Vulnerable
Federal Medicaid policy now pays more generously for healthy adults than for the most vulnerable populations.
The EPIC Food Stamps Resource
Food Stamp data should guide reform debates on benefits, work, eligibility, spending, and payment integrity.
Food Stamp State Cost Sharing Can Improve Outcomes and Sustainability Without Changing Total Benefit Spending
State cost sharing would give states stronger incentives to administer Food Stamps responsibly without reducing total benefits.
1.5 Million Noncitizens Receive Food Stamps
Noncitizen Food Stamp participation raises eligibility, immigration, and program-integrity questions Congress should address.
Work Requirements, Not Workarounds: Ending Food Stamp Waiver Abuse
Food Stamp waiver abuse undermines work expectations and should be ended for able-bodied adults.
13 Reforms to Preserve and Expand the 2017 Tax Cuts
Tax reform should preserve and build on the 2017 tax cuts while supporting growth and fiscal responsibility.
Expedited Rescissions Allows Congress to Support DOGE’s Work to Eliminate Waste
Expedited rescissions would help Congress convert DOGE findings into enforceable cuts to unnecessary spending.
Collaboration and Compromise are Essential for the Reconciliation Budget Resolution
A successful reconciliation budget resolution requires collaboration, compromise, and alignment between policy goals and vote counts.
The EPIC Budget Chartbook
Federal budget charts make clear that debt, deficits, interest, and spending are on an unsustainable trajectory.
Debt Limit Update: X-Date Will Be Reached This Summer
Treasury’s x-date was approaching faster than expected, making the debt limit a near-term fiscal decision point.
Reconciliation Brings the Potential for Regulatory Relief
Reconciliation can be used for regulatory relief when reforms have real budgetary effects and satisfy Senate rules.
The Truth About Reversing Biden’s 54% Food Stamp Spending Increase
Food Stamp spending claims should be measured against baseline growth and policy choices, not misleading rhetoric.
President Trump’s 2025 Joint Address to Congress and EPICs Proposed Solutions
President Trump’s agenda creates opportunities for Congress to advance fiscal, tax, welfare, border, and regulatory reforms.
Skyrocketing Medicaid Welfare Spending Driven by Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
Medicaid spending growth is driven in part by improper payments and eligibility failures that demand stronger oversight.
Growing Medicaid Welfare Dependency
Medicaid dependency and costs are rising, increasing pressure for reforms that refocus welfare on the vulnerable.
Putting the Reconciliation Instructions Into Context
Reconciliation savings targets should be viewed in context of the much larger federal budget and deficit problem.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Comparing the FY 2025 Reconciliation Instructions
Comparing reconciliation instructions shows whether committees are being asked to deliver savings commensurate with fiscal challenges.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The FY 2025 House Budget Resolution’s Deficit Reduction Failsafe Amendment
The House budget resolution’s deficit-reduction failsafe could shape reconciliation by tying tax policy to enforceable fiscal goals.
EPIC FAQs: Budget Reconciliation
Budget reconciliation is a powerful but rule-bound process for advancing fiscal legislation with privileged Senate treatment.
Reconciliation in the First Year of a New Presidential Administration
A new administration can use early reconciliation to move major fiscal, tax, border, and welfare priorities.
Fiscal Effects of Reducing the Federal Workforce
Reducing the federal workforce could produce savings, but meaningful fiscal effects require durable personnel and spending reforms.
How The Budget Baseline Is Biased
The budget baseline is biased when it assumes expiring or unfunded spending continues and grows automatically.
Debt Limit Extraordinary Measures Begin: What You Need To Know
Treasury’s extraordinary measures buy time after the debt limit binds but do not eliminate the need for congressional action.
CBO Sounds The Alarm At The Beginning Of The 2025 Fiscal Cliff
CBO’s early 2025 baseline showed the fiscal cliff was arriving amid rising debt, spending, and expiring tax policy.
The debt limit is an opportunity for a down payment on DOGE
The debt limit can be used to secure a first installment of DOGE-related spending reforms.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The 2025 Fiscal Cliff
The 2025 fiscal cliff combines tax expirations, spending caps, sequestration, debt limit pressure, and major program deadlines.
The CR Turns Off $1.5 Trillion of Scheduled Spending Cuts By Waiving Statutory PAYGO
Waiving statutory PAYGO in a continuing resolution would cancel scheduled cuts and increase deficits by roughly $1.5 trillion.
Border Security Committees Include Welfare Committees
Border security reconciliation can involve welfare committees because immigration status and benefit eligibility affect federal spending.
Billions Of Government Benefits For Illegal Aliens
Federal benefits for illegal aliens create budgetary and welfare-policy issues that Congress can address through reconciliation.
Debt Limit Suspension Adding $99,000 Every Second
Rapid debt accumulation during the suspension shows why debt-limit debates should include spending restraint.
Preparing for the Debt Limit: Projecting the 2025 X-Date
Preparing for the 2025 x-date requires understanding Treasury cash flows, extraordinary measures, and debt-limit law.
EPIC x TPPF: Reconciliation and Border Security
Border security policies with direct budgetary effects may be viable in reconciliation if designed around Senate constraints.
The Reconciliation Process in the Senate
The Senate reconciliation process gives major fiscal legislation special protections but also exposes it to Byrd Rule limits.
IRS Enforcement Spending Has Not Reduced the Deficit
Expanded IRS enforcement funding has not delivered the deficit reduction that supporters projected.
The true cost of Biden-Harris economics
Biden-Harris fiscal policy increased spending, taxes, debt, and inflationary pressure beyond pre-administration projections.
The Biden-Harris Spending Binge
The Biden-Harris fiscal record shows spending rose faster than revenues, leaving higher deficits and debt.
Lawmakers Must Preserve and Expand the 2017 Tax Cuts
Preserving and expanding the 2017 tax cuts is central to a pro-growth response to the fiscal cliff.
Understanding the Byrd Rule
The Byrd Rule limits reconciliation to provisions with sufficient budgetary effects and shapes what can survive in the Senate.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Statutory PAYGO
Statutory PAYGO can force sequestration unless Congress waives it, making waivers a major deficit policy choice.
Do the Rich Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes?
High-income taxpayers already pay a large share of federal income taxes, complicating claims that they do not pay enough.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Fix the Measurement of Tax Expenditures
Tax expenditures should be measured more accurately so policymakers can evaluate tax policy on a sound fiscal basis.
CBO Testimony: Baseline Is “Not A Neutral Benchmark”
CBO’s own testimony confirms the baseline is not neutral, strengthening the case for baseline reform.
37 Budget Process Reforms to Confront the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow
Budget process reform should include a broad menu of changes that improve transparency, discipline, and long-term fiscal planning.
A Call for Increased Transparency in Budget Reform
Budget reform must make fiscal tradeoffs more visible to lawmakers and the public.
A Call for Improved Scorekeeping in Budget Reform
Better scorekeeping would make cost estimates more useful, realistic, and transparent for congressional decision-making.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The Corporate Income Tax
The corporate income tax ultimately affects workers, investment, and competitiveness, not only corporations.
Statutory PAYGO Is Coming
Statutory PAYGO enforcement creates leverage for spending restraint if Congress refuses to waive scheduled cuts.
No Bias in The Baseline Act Removes Distortions that Push Higher Spending and Taxes
The No Bias in the Baseline Act would make official estimates more realistic by removing pro-spending baseline distortions.
MYTH VS. FACT: Fixing the Budget Baseline
Common objections to baseline reform overlook how current rules hide the cost of keeping spending high.
Reconciliation Will Allow Congress to Achieve Top Priorities of the American People in 2025
Reconciliation gives Congress a procedural path to advance tax, border, welfare, and spending priorities in 2025.
CBO June 2024 Baseline Sounds the Alarm
CBO’s June 2024 baseline showed deficits, debt, interest costs, and spending moving in the wrong direction.
EPIC Regulatory Comment on the USDA Rule Implementing Fiscal Responsibility Act Changes to the Food Stamp Program
USDA should implement Food Stamp work requirements faithfully and avoid weakening Congress’s Fiscal Responsibility Act reforms.
EPIC EXPLAINER: FY 2025 Discretionary Toplines
FY 2025 discretionary toplines depend on caps, side agreements, and enforcement rules that Congress must understand.
EPIC EXPLAINER: Reconciliation
Reconciliation is a budget process tool for moving major fiscal policy with expedited Senate consideration.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The Reconciliation Byrd Rule
The Byrd Rule is the key constraint determining which reconciliation provisions can survive Senate consideration.
Most Work Capable Food Stamp Recipients Don’t Work
Many work-capable Food Stamp recipients are not employed, underscoring the case for stronger work expectations.
Do Food Stamp Recipients Work?
Employment patterns among Food Stamp recipients should inform reforms that reconnect benefits with work and opportunity.
The Food Stamp Program Has a Dependency Problem
Food Stamps increasingly foster dependency unless reforms restore work, integrity, and a path out of poverty.
Food Stamp Spending is Skyrocketing
Food Stamp spending has surged because of policy choices that expanded benefits and participation.
How the Biden Administration Increased Food Stamp Spending by $300 Billion
Biden administration actions significantly increased Food Stamp benefit costs beyond prior law expectations.
Here is What Food Stamp Recipients Buy
Food Stamp purchase data should inform debates over nutrition standards, benefit design, and program integrity.
The Percentage of Americans on Food Stamps has Doubled Since 2001
The growing share of Americans on Food Stamps highlights the need to reassess dependency and program sustainability.
Food Stamp Enrollment has Surged
Surging Food Stamp enrollment reflects broader eligibility and benefit trends that increase fiscal and welfare-policy pressure.
Here is How Many Workers Support Every Food Stamp Recipient
A shrinking worker-to-recipient ratio raises questions about Food Stamp sustainability and incentives.
Billions Wasted on Food Stamp Improper Payments
Food Stamp improper payments waste billions and show why program integrity must be central to reform.
These States Have High Food Stamp Payment Errors
States with high Food Stamp error rates should face stronger accountability for payment accuracy and oversight.
These States Ignore the Food Stamp Income and Asset Rules
State waivers of Food Stamp income and asset rules expand eligibility beyond Congress’s intended limits.
The Food Stamp Chartbook
Food Stamp charts show the program’s growth, work gaps, eligibility looseness, and improper payment problems.
These States Waived the Food Stamp Work Requirements
States waiving Food Stamp work requirements weaken the expectation that able-bodied adults should work or prepare for work.
EPIC Report: Food Stamps: A Culture of Dependency
Food Stamps should be reformed to reduce dependency, promote work, and strengthen program integrity.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act Changes to Food Stamps
The Fiscal Responsibility Act changed Food Stamp rules, but stronger implementation and additional reforms remain necessary.
Strengthen Food Stamp Work Requirements to Promote Opportunity
Stronger Food Stamp work requirements would promote opportunity, reduce dependency, and improve long-term program sustainability.
Comparing Proposals to Strengthen Food Stamp Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults
Food Stamp work-requirement proposals differ in scope, waiver limits, exemptions, and enforcement strength.
A Modest Proposal to Provide Transparency and Accountability for Earmarks
Earmarks should be subject to stronger transparency and accountability so taxpayers can evaluate member-directed spending.
EPIC Resource: FY25 House Appropriations Requests
Publishing FY 2025 House appropriations requests improves transparency around earmarks and member-directed spending.
Biden’s Unilateral Food Stamp Increase
Biden’s unilateral Food Stamp increase raised legal, budgetary, and welfare-policy concerns that Congress should address.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act remains central to tax policy because major provisions are scheduled to expire.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The $1 Trillion Welfare Bureaucracy
The size and complexity of federal welfare programs create costs, overlap, and incentives that can deepen dependency.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The Debt Limit
The debt limit is a legal borrowing cap that creates fiscal pressure when debt approaches the limit.
Biden’s FY 2025 Budget: Higher Spending, Higher Taxes, More Government Control
President Biden’s FY 2025 budget would expand spending, taxes, and federal control rather than restore discipline.
Appropriations Transparency Act Would Provide Vital Sunlight on Spending Bills
The Appropriations Transparency Act would give Congress better spending information before appropriations bills are considered.
Setting the Record Straight on Bidenomics: State of the Union 2024
Data on inflation, wages, spending, and debt challenge optimistic claims about Bidenomics.
EPIC Analysis: Sequester Impacts for Potential FY24 Spending Options
Potential FY 2024 spending choices could trigger different sequester effects depending on how caps and enforcement apply.
EPIC Analysis: Comparing Potential Discretionary Spending Options, FY 2023 – 2024
Comparing FY 2023 and FY 2024 discretionary options shows how policy choices affect enforceable spending levels.
CBO Baseline: Unsustainable Spending, Rising Debt
CBO baseline data confirms that spending, interest costs, deficits, and debt are on an unsustainable path.
Senate Supplemental Would Take Discretionary Spending Higher than Pelosi Levels
The Senate supplemental would lift discretionary spending above prior Pelosi-era levels and weaken fiscal discipline.
Strengthening the Congressional Budget Office
CBO should be strengthened through reforms that improve transparency, accountability, responsiveness, and usefulness to Congress.
IRS Enhanced Enforcement Falling Short of Projections
IRS enforcement funding has fallen short of projected collections, weakening claims that it meaningfully reduces deficits.
Debunking Biden’s deficit claims, one by one
Biden deficit claims fail when measured against pre-presidency projections for spending, revenues, and debt.
EPIC Analysis: Comparative Tables for FY24 Spending Deals
Comparative FY 2024 spending tables help show which deals preserve or undermine discretionary spending discipline.
What’s Actually in the Spending Deal
The FY 2024 spending deal should be judged by its actual effect on caps, offsets, and spending levels.
FY 2023 Spending Was $1 Trillion Higher Than Projected Before Biden’s Policies
FY 2023 spending exceeded pre-Biden projections by roughly $1 trillion, showing the scale of policy-driven budget growth.
Comparative Total FY 2024 Base Discretionary Levels
Total FY 2024 base discretionary levels differ meaningfully across proposals, shaping whether Congress honors spending restraint.
What are the FRA Discretionary Spending Caps and Potential Scenarios?
Fiscal Responsibility Act caps can produce very different outcomes depending on how Congress writes appropriations bills.
2023 Improper Payments Exceed Funding for the U.S. Army
Improper payments exceed major defense benchmarks, illustrating the scale of preventable waste across federal programs.
The Myth of the Current Law Baseline
CBO’s current-law baseline is not neutral when it assumes expiring spending continues and obscures policy choices.
Upcoming Fiscal Challenges Show Need for Lawmakers to Think Longer Term and Bigger Picture
Upcoming fiscal challenges require Congress to think beyond short-term deals and confront debt, taxes, entitlements, and borrowing.
October Ends with a Spooky Amount of Government Debt
Monthly debt growth shows federal borrowing remains dangerous even outside headline fiscal deadlines.
Breaking Down the FRA Discretionary Spending Caps and Potential Scenarios
Understanding FRA caps and scenarios is essential to assessing whether appropriations decisions comply with spending limits.
EPIC EXPLAINER: The Fiscal Year 2023 Deficit
The FY 2023 deficit reflected both elevated spending and weaker revenues, reinforcing the need for fiscal restraint.
The Worrisome Data in CBOs Fiscal Year 2023 Report
CBO’s FY 2023 data showed troubling spending, revenue, deficit, and debt trends that demand congressional attention.
The Fiscal Effects of Biden’s Student Loan Cancellation
Biden’s student loan cancellation shifts costs to taxpayers and increases federal spending and debt.
18 Absurdities of the McConnell-Schumer Omnibus Spending Bill
The McConnell-Schumer omnibus included excessive spending, earmarks, and budget-process abuses that undermined fiscal discipline.
Congress Guts Budget Rules and Misses Chance to Cut Spending
Congress weakened budget rules instead of using PAYGO enforcement to require spending reductions.
12 Woke Earmarks in Omnibus Spending Bill
Questionable earmarks in the omnibus demonstrate how member-directed spending can fund parochial or ideological projects.
Improving Budget Rules and Processes to Achieve Policy Outcomes in the 118th Congress
The 118th Congress could achieve better policy outcomes by strengthening budget rules, transparency, and enforcement.
Republicans Can Curtail Government Spending Now
Republicans had budget enforcement tools available to curtail spending before the end of the year.
Biden’s Proposed Spending Binge Would Increase Inflationary Pressure
Biden’s proposed spending increases would add fiscal stimulus and worsen inflationary pressure.
How Senate Republicans Can Cut $100 Billion of Spending Right Now
Senate Republicans could use PAYGO enforcement to force about $100 billion in mandatory spending cuts.
Republicans Hold Cards to Ensuring $130B in Wasteful Spending Is Cut by End of Year
Republicans had leverage to ensure scheduled PAYGO cuts occurred instead of allowing more wasteful spending.
6 Important Issues at Stake in Appropriations Bills
Appropriations bills carried major stakes for spending levels, earmarks, policy riders, and congressional accountability.
How Congressional Republicans Can Force Biden To Cut $130 Billion in Spending
Congressional Republicans could force the administration to implement statutory PAYGO cuts by refusing another waiver.
Republicans Can Ensure Biden Follows Law and $130B in Spending Cuts Happen by Year-end
Republicans should insist that statutory PAYGO be enforced so scheduled spending cuts happen as required by law.
Unlike Biden’s, Heritage Foundation’s Budget Blueprint Charts Responsible Course for America
Heritage’s budget blueprint offers a contrasting fiscal path built around spending restraint, tax reform, and debt reduction.
Statutory PAYGO Presents an Opportunity to Cut Spending
Congress should let statutory PAYGO cuts proceed instead of repeatedly waiving its own budget rules.
Statutory PAYGO Presents an Opportunity to Cut Spending: Myths and Facts
Statutory PAYGO myths obscure that enforcement can create a real opportunity to cut spending.
Statutory PAYGO Presents an Opportunity to Cut Spending
Statutory PAYGO can force spending reductions if Congress allows the law’s enforcement mechanism to operate.
“Inflation Reduction Act” Is Euphemism for Big Government Socialism, Higher Prices
The Inflation Reduction Act expanded federal control and spending while failing to solve inflation.
So-Called Inflation Reduction Act Would Make Stagflation Worse
The Inflation Reduction Act risked worsening stagflation by combining tax hikes, spending, and regulatory burdens.
11 Ways Republican Study Committee Budget Is Blueprint to Save America
The Republican Study Committee budget offered a conservative blueprint for spending restraint, reform, and economic growth.
Congress Must Carefully Review Any Ukraine Spending Package
Any Ukraine spending package should be carefully reviewed, justified, and offset where possible.
5 Big Problems With Biden’s Big-Government Budget
Biden’s budget relied on higher spending, taxes, deficits, and debt that would intensify inflationary pressure.
6 Examples of Woke Pork Projects in Omnibus Spending Bill
Omnibus earmarks highlighted how Congress uses spending bills for parochial projects rather than fiscal discipline.
8 Ways Massive Omnibus Spending Bill Is a Mistake
The omnibus spending bill combined excess spending, earmarks, gimmicks, and weak COVID-related oversight.
A Budget Blueprint for Freedom, Opportunity, and Prosperity
A responsible budget should promote freedom, opportunity, prosperity, spending restraint, tax reform, and debt reduction.
Budget Blueprint for Fiscal Year 2023
Heritage’s FY 2023 blueprint proposed reforms to reduce spending, improve taxes, and restore long-term fiscal sustainability.
National Debt Reaches New Heights Thanks to Ever-Expanding Government
The national debt’s new heights reflect years of expanding federal spending and persistent deficits.
It’s Time to Retire Funding Parity Talking Point
Defense and nondefense funding parity is an outdated formula that weakens Congress’s ability to prioritize spending.
Congress Is Writing Blank Check for Big Government, Socialist Tax-and-Spend Spree
Congress was giving too much fiscal latitude to a major tax-and-spend agenda without adequate limits or accountability.
White House Is Bypassing the Usual Fiscal Review Process to Push Spending Bill Through. This Is Irresponsible.
Bypassing normal fiscal review for a major reconciliation bill undermined transparency and responsible lawmaking.
A Road Map for Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations
FY 2022 appropriations should restrain spending, preserve policy riders, and hold earmarks accountable.
What’s in Democrats’ $1.75 Trillion Spending Bill
The $1.75 trillion spending bill would expand taxes, welfare, and federal programs while increasing long-term fiscal risks.
Congress Shouldn’t Exempt Medicare From Mandatory Budget Cuts
Congress should not shield Medicare from budget enforcement when doing so weakens PAYGO discipline.
Testimony for Hearing on: A Strong Foundation: How Housing is the Key to Building Back a Better America
Housing affordability depends on broader fiscal, tax, and regulatory policy, not simply more federal spending.
Will Biden’s Spending Bill Hike Taxes on Those Making Less Than $400,000?
Biden’s spending bill could raise taxes below the $400,000 threshold through indirect economic and tax effects.
8 Things You Need to Know About Democrats’ Tax Increase Bill
Democrats’ tax bill would raise burdens on families and businesses while weakening economic growth.
Being a Parent Is Hard Enough: It’s Time for Congress to Help Families Thrive
Family policy should empower parents with flexibility, affordability, and work incentives rather than expand federal control.
9 Things You Need to Know About the Budget Resolution’s Reckless Tax and Spending Spree
The budget resolution created a framework for a large tax-and-spending package with major fiscal risks.
Should Congress Legalize Illegal Aliens Through a Budget Process? Consider These 7 Points
Immigration legalization faces serious Byrd Rule obstacles if Congress attempts to move it through reconciliation.
Biden Buries Bad News of a Bloated, Reckless Budget and Hopes You Won’t Notice
Biden’s FY 2022 budget proposed excessive spending and taxes while minimizing public scrutiny.
President Biden’s Plan Harms Families and Undermines Work
Biden’s family-policy agenda would expand federal control, weaken work incentives, and raise costs for families.
Republican Study Committee Budget Would Reclaim America’s Fiscal Future
The Republican Study Committee budget showed how conservatives could reduce spending, deficits, and debt.
President Biden’s Tax-and-Spend Plan Expands Federal Power, Not Jobs
Biden’s infrastructure plan would expand federal power and taxes without delivering stronger jobs or growth.
5 Things You Need to Know About Biden’s $1.8 Trillion American Families Plan
The American Families Plan would expand spending, taxes, education mandates, health care subsidies, and welfare programs.
Why President Biden’s Government Solutions Would Actually Weaken the Infrastructure of American Families
Government-centered family and infrastructure policies risk weakening families by increasing dependency and federal control.
CBO Has Made Important Progress in Transparency, but Additional Steps Are Needed
CBO has improved transparency, but Congress still needs more accessible and usable budget information.
Biden’s Business Tax Hikes Would Be a Self-Inflicted Mistake for America
Business tax hikes would reduce investment, wages, competitiveness, and economic growth.
President Biden’s Corporate Tax Increase Would Reduce Wages, Harm Economic Growth, and Make America Less Competitive
A higher corporate tax rate would ultimately harm workers, investment, growth, and U.S. competitiveness.
Biden’s Appropriations Budget Proposal Is Unreasonable, Irresponsible
Biden’s appropriations proposal sought large discretionary increases inconsistent with fiscal responsibility.
Nothing Is More Emblematic of the “Swamp” Than Earmarks
Earmarks embody Washington’s spending culture by encouraging parochial projects, dealmaking, and waste.
Tax Increases Would Reverse the Success of Trump’s Tax Cuts
Tax increases would reverse important gains from the 2017 tax cuts and weaken growth.
Return of the Swamp: Earmarks Would Be a Costly Mistake
Restoring earmarks would revive wasteful spending practices and weaken congressional fiscal discipline.
Earmarks Represent Corruption, Waste, and the Swamp. The Ban on Them Should Stay in Place.
The earmark ban should remain because earmarks encourage corruption, waste, and parochial spending.
Waiving PAYGO on $1.9T “Stimulus” Is Reckless. There Are Better Ways to Go.
Waiving PAYGO for the $1.9 trillion stimulus would evade budget discipline instead of targeting relief.
Joe Biden’s Coronavirus Stimulus Bill: A $1.9 Trillion Disaster
Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus was too large, poorly targeted, and fiscally irresponsible.
2 Major Reports Conclude Excessive Government Spending Threatens American Prosperity
Major fiscal reports warn that excessive government spending threatens prosperity, debt sustainability, and economic freedom.
COVID-19 Proposals Should Focus on Disease, Not Wasteful Spending Increases
COVID-19 legislation should focus on public health needs rather than unrelated spending increases.
Harmful Minimum Wage Increase Not Eligible for Reconciliation
A federal minimum wage increase should not be included in reconciliation because it fails Byrd Rule limits.
Congress Must Confront Overspending, CBO Report Confirms
CBO’s budget outlook confirms that Congress must confront overspending, deficits, and rising debt.
Consequential Decisions on Reconciliation and the Byrd Rule
Reconciliation and Byrd Rule decisions would shape how much of the COVID spending agenda could advance.
Rescissions Proposal Would Help to Reduce Unnecessary Spending
A rescissions package could reverse unnecessary discretionary spending and improve fiscal discipline.
9 Wasteful Programs From Massive Spending Bill That Can, and Should, Be Reversed
Congress can and should reverse wasteful programs from the massive spending bill through rescissions.
9 Things You Need to Know About the $1.4 Trillion Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus and $900 Billion COVID-19 Package
The FY 2021 omnibus and COVID package combined large appropriations, emergency spending, and policy provisions requiring scrutiny.
Federal Budget Assistance for State & Local Governments
States and localities already received substantial federal support, so further bailouts should be rejected without reforms.
JOBS for Success Act would recognize that all people have potential
TANF reform should help people escape poverty permanently by promoting work, dignity, and opportunity.