The budget proposal unveiled last night by Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) would reduce the amount the federal government pays to contractors for their highest-paid employees by nearly half from $487,000, down from about $952,000.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) released a series of discussion drafts proposing elements of tax reform this week, including recommendations for international tax reform.

Baucus clearly states that tax reform overall should be revenue positive for deficit reduction, but the proposal for international taxation is revenue neutral in the long-run—leaving open the possibility of revenue positive reform of the individual tax system.

The House of Representatives is planning to vote on the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2013 (DATA Act; H.R. 2061) tonight. The DATA Act, which has bipartisan support, would direct the executive branch to improve federal spending transparency.

Last week, the government reopened and a default on the national debt was averted at the last minute, but not before Americans frustrated by extremist politics and budget brinksmanship turned out to hundreds of protests across the country.