Budget Matters Blog


Sequestration Uncertainty

Last week’s fiscal cliff deal left much unresolved – no agreement on raising the debt ceiling, the fiscal year 2013 budget is still incomplete, and there was no more than a delay in dealing with one of the major components of the cliff: sequestration.


Top Five Things You Need to Know About the Fiscal Cliff Deal

Here are the top 5 things you need to know  about the fiscal cliff deal enacted by Congress this week: 1)  Extends the Bush-Era Tax Cuts: The Bush-era tax cuts were scheduled to expire on Dec. 31. The tax cuts benefited nearly every American taxpayer, though they offered the most ...


2013 and the Fiscal Cliff

2013 and the fiscal cliff will arrive in a few hours, though today's most popular Google search is about Kim Kardashian's pregnancy. After all, we can only take so much news about something called the "fiscal cliff." But it actually makes a difference whether we're paying attention to Kim Kardashian or to what's happening in Washington.


Will There Be a Fiscal Cliff Deal?

There have been few outward signs of progress in recent days as Congress and the White House negotiate over the so-called fiscal cliff. (We prefer to call it a fiscal obstacle course.) Naturally that's led to speculation that lawmakers won't be able to strike a deal to avoid the looming spending cuts and tax increases.


Fiscal Cliff Definition

With all the talk in the news media about the "fiscal cliff," it seems that one important thing has been left out: A simple definition of what is the fiscal cliff. So here it is.


Fiscal Cliff Negotiations: What's At Stake for Your State

Governors and city mayors across the country want to have a say in negotiations over the fiscal cliff, the New York Times reported on Sunday. And no wonder. State budgets rely heavily on funding from the federal government, so across-the-board federal budget cuts – which are currently scheduled for the start of 2013 – would have a big impact on the states. Consider just a couple ways that federal money flows into your state.


A Fight for the Future: How Budget Talks Affect Young People

You’ve heard the term “fiscal cliff” and you’ve heard about how lawmakers in Washington can’t agree on spending or taxes. But here’s what you may not have heard: The federal budget negotiations happening right now may result in deep cuts to programs that benefit the next generation of Americans.


Democracy Inaction - the Fiscal Cliff

In the wake of the elections, Democrats and Republicans are pledging to work together to solve the fiscal cliff and other daunting challenges that confront the current lame duck session of Congress.But how likely is that, really? For example, both sides claim that the election was a mandate for their ...


The Fiscal Cliff: What you Need to Know

Now that the elections are over, in Washington it’s all about the fiscal cliff. If you haven’t heard that phrase yet, you will soon. And often.The term “fiscal cliff” refers to the combination of two major events that will occur at the end of the year should Congress fail to ...


Where Are We Now: Congress, the Elections, and the Lame Duck

The Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year passed quietly this year, as Congress recessed in mid-September so House and Senate members could return to their districts to campaign before the critical November elections. Members plan to return to Washington in mid-November for a “lame duck” session of Congress, during which there will be pressure to address a number of major issues.