Budget

Why Trump’s Space Force May Have Trouble Getting Off the Ground

By Michael Rainey

President Trump’s surprise announcement about the creation of a new “Space Force” branch of the military is already meeting resistance in Congress and the Pentagon. According to The Hill , senators...
Trump’s Plan to Overhaul the Government

By Yuval Rosenberg

The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping proposal to reorganize the federal government by merging departments, shrinking agencies, consolidating social safety net programs, selling...
Everything You Need to Know About the New GOP Budget

By Yuval Rosenberg

House Republicans released a 2019 budget proposal Tuesday that, though it stands little chance of advancing, signals the party’s priorities: The blueprint would balance the budget in nine years by...
The High Cost of Trump's Border Crisis

By Michael Rainey

In an abrupt reversal in the face of mounting political and public pressure, President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order to end the separation of migrant children from their parents at the...
Trump Again Threatens a Government Shutdown Over Border Wall Funding

By Yuval Rosenberg

Angry over the lack of full, upfront funding for his border wall with Mexico, President Trump reportedly threatened to shut down the government in September. Politico reports that Trump “fumed to...

The Politics Behind Permanent Trillion-Dollar Deficits

By Yuval Rosenberg

Budget Guy Stan Collender writes that budget deficits under the Trump administration are projected to hit $1 trillion in 2020 — and keep rising to $1.5 trillion in fiscal 2028. “But what’s most...
House Committee to Mark Up Doomed 2019 Budget

By Yuval Rosenberg

House Budget Committee Chairman Steve Womack (R-AR) announced Monday that his panel will hold a two-day markup of the fiscal 2019 budget resolution on Wednesday and Thursday. The resolution...
Another Way Trump’s Trade War Could Hurt the US

By Yuval Rosenberg

Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at the Bleakley Advisory Group, adds another wrinkle to the dangers of an emerging trade war. In a Monday morning email, Boockvar notes that foreigners were...
Trump Calls for the Military to Add a Space Force

By Michael Rainey

President Trump ordered the Defense Department on Monday to take steps toward creating a new branch of the military focused on space. "I am hereby directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to...
Is Trump Really Saving Money by Canceling ‘War Games’ in South Korea?

By Michael Rainey

President Trump announced Tuesday that the extensive joint military exercises the U.S. regularly holds with South Korea will cease as he seeks to improve relations with North Korea. In addition to...

The Savings from Trump's Spending Cuts Would Be Smaller Than Advertised

By The Fiscal Times Staff

At The Weekly Standard , Chris Deaton writes that the White House’s plan to cut $15.4 billion in spending “is a drop in a bucket floating on a sea” — and the real amount it would lop off the deficit...
Trump Administration Proposes $143.5 Billion in Federal Employee Retirement Cuts

By Yuval Rosenberg

Just in time for Public Service Recognition Week, the Trump administration has proposed $143.5 billion in compensation cuts for federal employees, The Washington Post’s Joe Davidson reports : “In a...
Demand at Treasury Auction Is ‘Lame’

By Michael Rainey

The U.S. Treasury’s latest auction saw relatively weak demand Tuesday, with prices edging lower and interest rates moving higher. “Overall bidding at the $31 billion U.S. Treasury three-year note...
Everything You Need to Know About Trump's $15 Billion in Spending Cuts

By Yuval Rosenberg

The White House on Tuesday unveiled its package of $15.4 billion in proposed spending cuts. The list of rescissions , as they’re called, includes 38 proposals ranging in size from about $519,000 to...
Record Budget Surplus in April

By Michael Rainey

It may seem a bit odd to talk about a budget surplus at a time of soaring deficits, but tax receipts are coming in stronger than expected in April and the Congressional Budget Office is now...