Last month, President Joseph Biden announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles and some other items. His administration argues this action is retaliation for “China’s unfair trade practices” and aims to “protect American workers and businesses.” Cynics allege Biden is trying to appeal to voters considering voting for Donald J. Trump, who has thundered on and […]
We should not be surprised by the next g...
A majority of budget wonks think the federal government is headed toward a shutdown, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The nonprofit conducted its “highly unscientific poll” in late August, and 58 percent of respondents responded in the affirmative. I was one of the nerds who was asked, and I put the odds at 50-50…. […]
A must-have for spending negotiations: p...
America’s fiscal stewards have left thei
The good news is that Congress avoided a government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution the other week, which President Joe Biden signed. So the federal tap will keep flowing, mostly at the same level, although the statute does provide extra dollars for the Ukrainian fight against Russia, the resettlement of Afghani refugees, and other […]
Congress passes resolution that may rais...
Nobody can argue that Congress or recent presidents have been particularly serious about managing the nation’s finances responsibly. Excepting the fiscal bargain struck in 2013 that slapped caps on outlays, our nations’ leaders have shown themselves happy to cut taxes while jacking up spending…. (Read more)
The budget wreck is Congress’ fault — an
Despite being in Washington, D.C. for nearly 20 years, I sometimes feel like Alice who has fallen down the rabbit hole into a crazy place where words are used in ways that don’t make sense anywhere else. Take the word, “budget.” To the average American, it connotes the exercise of tabulating how much money is […]