News about the federal budget is almost impossible to follow, so here’s some straight talk about whether or not there’s a federal budget for 2013 and why things are even worse than they seem.

The legislation introduced yesterday would extend the current spending bill through the end of the fiscal year – in other words, Congress is proposing to go through this entire fiscal year without passing an actual budget. However, this new legislation did include an actual budget for just two areas of government – Defense and Military Construction-Veterans Affair.

Unable to broker an eleventh-hour deal with congressional Republican leaders, President Obama signed the order activating the automatic across-the-board federal spending cuts known as sequestration.

All signs point to sequestration taking effect as scheduled tomorrow, March 1. To bring you right up to date, here are alternatives to sequestration that have been proposed by both parties.

By now you've heard that federal budget cuts will take effect on Friday. And you've heard the strange-sounding name for these cuts: sequestration. No one thought the cuts would actually take effect, but now – it is near certain – they will, and the fallout will reach all of us.

Designed as a penalty for congressional inaction, sequestration was supposed to force legislators to work together within a deficit reduction paradigm. It failed as a disciplinary measure. Many will implicate the prevailing austerity rhetoric as part of the problem believing it unwise to cut federal investment in the midst of continued economic crisis – especially when sequestration takes meaningful tax reform off the table. Now, just days away, sequestration is on course to fail us all – especially the most vulnerable and marginalized Americans.

As tax season and Fiscal Cliff II get into full swing, we're highlighting our Federal Tax Collections data in the Federal Priorities Database.

Our nation is operating on a temporary budget and a temporary debt-ceiling suspension with indiscriminate budget cuts threatening critical investments ranging from education to food safety. The State of the Union address failed to acknowledge how far we are from resolving our fiscal challenges in a manner worthy of the dreams and aspirations held by the people of our nation.

Actually, the fiscal cliff never left. If you thought we solved the fiscal cliff with the deal back in January (or even the more recent debt ceiling deal), you’re mistaken.

  Article II of the U.S. Constitution states that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union."While the date is not specified by the Constitution, traditionally the State of the Union takes place in late January. This year President Obama ...