03/02/20
The US political system is out of kilter. Has the time come for congressional term limits, changes in the scheduling of elections, a different approach to campaign finance laws, and abolition of the filibuster? Read More...Tags: political polarization, divided government, articles of impeachment, USMCA, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, South Carolina primary, Super Tuesday, staggered elections, term limits, Citizens United, political action committees, President Donald Trump, Senate filibuster rule, Sen. Mitch McConnell , Planned Parenthood , GovCare, government agencies, regulations
11/26/18
Bipartisan reform of the "broken" congressional budget system sounded like a nice idea, but the JSC proposals wouldn't deliver any real benefits. Better to leave things as they are. Read More...Tags: Bipartisan Budget Act, Joint Select Committe re budget process, Joint Select Committe on Deficit Reduction, Tom Schatz, Michael Tanner, Mick Mulvaney, House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Speaker John Boehner, Amakudari, Rep. Steve Womack, groupthink, Steven Covey, David Obey, Budget Contol Act, Congressional Budget Office, continuing resolutions, biennial budgeting, spending caps, appropriation committees, Senate filibuster rule, reconciliation process, debt limit
06/11/18
Re the JSC’s review of the budget process, no one has zeroed in on the primary problem: The Senate filibuster rule is being used to slow down the process for partisan advantage. Read More...Tags: Joint Select Committe re budget process, Martha Coven, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Bill Hoagland, Don Wolfensberger, Emily Holubowich, Matt Owens, Maya MacGuineas, Jim Capretta, Bill Dauster, Joe White, smootihing budget process, government shutdowns, debt limit, Rep. Steve Womack , Rep. Nita Lowey, biennial budgeting, budget resolutions, budget proposals, Senate filibuster rule, reconciliation process, Social Security, Medicare, demographic trends, fiscal house of cards, discretionary spending, mandatory spending, US Comptroller General, Gene Dodaro, Major Savings and Reforms, CAGW's Prime Cuts, Mick Mulvaney, Tom Schatz, Michael Tanner
05/21/18
The fiscal problem needs to be attacked more aggressively than it has been in recent years. and we agree with Milton Friedman that there is no chance of success without doing a much better job of controlling government spending. Read More...Tags: president's budge proposal, Mick Mulvaney, Senate Budget Committee, House Budget Committee, Congressional Budget Office, appropriation bills, Senate filibuster rule, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. David Perdue, President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Joint Select Committe re budget process, Milton Friedman, Peterson Foundation, fiscal summit, Debt matters, Insuffiicent revenues, carbon tax, Erica Werner, Sen. Jeff Flake, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen Bob Corker
05/14/18
The Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform is a representative sample of participants in the congressional budget process; expect some fine-tuning of the current rules but no more. Read More...Tags: Joint Select Committe re budget process, Bipartisan Budget Act, Senate filibuster rule, Citizens Against Government Waste, Heritage Foundation, Martha Coven, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Rep. Steve Womack, Rep. Nita Lowey, Mick Mulvaney, Sen. David Perdue, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Jodey Arrington, Rep. John Yarmuth, Sen. Jodi Ernst, Sen. Michael Bennet, Rep. Bob Woodall, Rep. Derek Kilmer, Sen. James Lankford, Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Roy Blunt, Rep. Pete Sessions, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, Sen. Mazie Hiron
03/05/18
The GOP tax cut may have been a reasonable bet, but trillion-dollar deficits are sure to backfire. Read More...Tags: fiscal meltdown, economic gamble, Federal Reserve, streamlining regulations, cut taxes, Child Tax Credit, Wind Production Tax Credit, protectionist trade policies, tariffs, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Pat Toomey, Sen. Mike Lee, Joshua Bolten, Larry Kudlow, Lord Maynard Keynes, deficit experiment, productivity miracle, inflation, GOP tax cut, Bipartisan Budget Act, Global financial crisis of 2008-2009, inflation spike in 1966, Paul Volcker, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Senate filibuster rule, Social Security, Medicare, House Speaker Paul Ryan, paid family leave, Ivanka Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump
01/29/18
To avoid being blamed for the next government shutdown, which is set for February 8, Republicans should consider taking a harder line. Read More...Tags: continuing resolution, GovCare, tax cut , apppriation bills, CHIP, debt limit, DACA Program, government shutdown, defense spending, budget caps, Sen. Tom Carper , dreamers, Sen Chuck Schumer, President Donald Trump, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Schumer Shutdown, Trump Shutdown, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, Legislative Affairs Director Mark Short, Sen. Mitch McConnell, moderate senators, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen Joe Lieberman, "No labels" movement, path to citizenship, border wall funding, Senate filibuster rule, Sen. Ted Cruz. , nuclear option
12/11/17
No one wants to be blamed for a government shutdown, but there are deep divisions on several issues and neither side will give up easily. Don’t count on anything until the dust settles. Read More...Tags: President Donald Trump, Sen. Chuck Schumer Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Republican tax plan, Sen. Tom Carper, ANWR, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Child Tax Credit, Alternative Minimum Tax, estate tax, GovCare individual mandate, Roy Moore, Sen. Susan Collins, Speaker Paul Ryan, Rep. Mark Walker, DACA Program, Pensacola rally, border wall funding, visa overstays, sanctuary cities, chain migration, E-verify, continuing resolution, omnibus spending bill, Senate filibuster rule, Budget Contol Act, government shutdown
09/25/17
Graham-Cassidy bill would lower federal profile in healthcare and give more authority to the states. Read More...Tags: GovCare, individual HCI business, Graham-Cassidy bill, Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Dean Heller, Sen. Ron Johnson, HHS Secretary Tom Price, Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, work requirement for Medicaid, Medicaid block grants, Congressional Budget Office, Avalere Health, Senate filibuster rule, reconciliation process, former President Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, Sen. Chris Coons, Alan Blinder, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Medicare for all, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Kamala Harris, President Donald Trump, Yogi Berra, August recess, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Senate HELP Committee, Sen. Patty Murray
01/16/17
Will the parties work together to repeal and replace GovCare? What could improve the odds for a favorable outcome?
Read More...Tags: Affordable Care Act, repeal and replace, budget reconciliation process, Coach Darrell Royal, concurrent resolution, Senate filibuster rule, president-elect's press conference, Rep. (and HHS Secretary-designate) Tom Price, president's farewell speech, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Tom Carper, Lou Stahl - Phoenix AZ