Blog: The Fine Print / Revenue & Spending

Health Insurance and the Long Term Fiscal Outlook

Jul 27, 2007 by Craig Jennings

Ezra Klein points us to a study appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine indicating that Medicare costs are lower for people who had health insurance before enrolling in Medicare. It underscores the fact that in order to address the long term fiscal imbalance, we need to address health care in America. More evidence for the importance of health coverage comes from a study in The New England Journal of Medicine this month, which tracks what happens when the previously uninsured become eligible for Medicare. It turns out that they -- surprise! -- need a whole lot more care than their demographically similar, but previously insured, brethren!

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Public Opinion on the Budget: Cut or Spend?

Jul 27, 2007 by Matt Lewis

On the budget battle brewing between congress and the president, does public opinion lean toward the veto-happy Bush or the Democratic majority? The Center for American Progress investigates.

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Capital Concerns Alarm Administration

Jul 27, 2007 by Dana Chasin

How Far Down Now, Dow? Rising income inequality, creeping AMT brackets, a deteriorating debt picture -- none of these seems to rise to the level of significance sufficient to galvanize the White House into action. But when life gets tough for the nation's investors -- and a five percent drop in the capital markets this week is making life tough for investors -- the White House gets going.

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Kids Today

Jul 27, 2007 by Craig Jennings

A recent poll finds that 18-29 year-olds want a bigger government with more services. The Democracy Corps poll was conducted May 29 - June 19 and included 1017 18-29 year-old respondents. Generally speaking, would you rather have a bigger government providing more services or a smaller government that provides fewer services? Bigger government, strongly .................... 40 Bigger government, not so strongly........... 28 Smaller government, not so strongly......... 12 Smaller government, strongly................... 16 (Don't know/refused) ................................ 4

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Farm Bill Goings-On

Jul 27, 2007 by Matt Lewis

Congress is rushing to get lots done before its August recess. The Farm Bill is one of the bills Congress is working madly on. The entire House will probably vote on it today. The Farm Bill essentially sets the federal government's agricultural policy- crop subsidies, farmland conservation payments, bioenergy, and anti-hunger programs, like Food Stamps. It needs to be renewed every five years.

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Approps Update

Jul 27, 2007 by Craig Jennings

  • In the last minutes of yesterday, the Senate passed FY 2008 Homeland Security funding - its first appropriations bill for the next fiscal year. And the veto-resilient vote - 89-4 - bodes ill for the White House. The House approved its measure short of the veto-proof margin of 292 'yeas' (268-150), an so eyes will glance over to the presidents drawer where he keeps his veto pen in anticipation of Bush following through with his veto threat.

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House SCHIP Markup Proceeding

Jul 26, 2007 by Matt Lewis

After some delay, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is now marking up the SCHIP reauthorization and expansion. Some resources on the bill:
  • A summary of the chairman's mark
  • A section-by-section analysis
  • CBO's preliminary score
  • Families USA's chart that compares the House bill with the Senate version.

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Market Interventions Vs. Redistribution

Jul 26, 2007 by Matt Lewis

Just came back from an event sponsored by Democracy: Journal of Ideas (so pretentious- uggh) and the Brooking's Hamilton Project, which I'm not really a huge fan of either, but whatever. They're ok.

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If Nussle Had Baggage, His Livery Service Handled It

Jul 26, 2007 by Dana Chasin

The tone for today's short and sweet Senate Budget Committee confirmation hearing on Jim Nussle's nomination to serve as OMB Director was set by the men who introduced him. Apparently, he was in good hands.

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The Broken Labor Market

Jul 26, 2007 by Matt Lewis

Economist Mark Thoma, over at Economist's View, locks in on an essential point in the inequality debate that often gets overlooked. One thing that bothers me about the whole inequality debate is the presumption that the winners deserve their incomes because it reflects their contribution to the firm, i.e. it is the wage that would be earned in well-functioning competitive markets, with the reward is equal to the person's marginal contribution to the firm. Thus, the analysis often begins with the idea that any tax takes away someone's hard-earned income and redistributes it elsewhere.

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