We'll be shutting down the BudgetBrigade a bit early today to head off to OMB Watch's 25th Anniversary celebration. Yup, that's right. OMBW is 25 years young this year and we're primed and ready for our quarter life crisis! We're taking some time to celebrate tonight with friends and supporters and remember 25 years of fighting for a more transparent and accountable federal government.

I came across more good news from the IRS today (well, Friday actually) and I'm not really sure what to do with myself. BNA reported late on Friday afternoon that Lisa McCaughey, a senior tax analyst with the Small Business/Self-Employed Division reported that the IRS is reducing the staggering number of audits they conduct each year of taxpayers who claim the earned income tax credit (EITC). Woohoo!

CongressDaily and CQ are both reporting that Congressional Democratic leadership are signaling that they will attempt to move a second stimulus package before they adjourn for the year.

The Economic Policy Institute has released the advanced version of The State of Working America, 2008/2009; full version will be available Jan. 2009. Described as the "most comprehensive independent analysis of the U.S. labor market" by the Financial Times, the 11th edition shows that the business cycle that started in 2001 will be one for the record books....Prepared biennially since 1988, The State of Working America scrutinizes family incomes, jobs, wages, unemployment, wealth, poverty, and health care coverage, describing the economy's effect on our nation's standard of living.