Federal Budget Policy

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Mid-session Review Presents Misleading View of Nation's Finances

The White House's Office of Management and Budget recently (and belatedly) released its annual budgetary "Mid-Session Review," which attempts to put a positive spin on massive and worsening deficits, as well as the lowest level of revenue in nearly a half century.

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Budget Legislation Watch

Some good and bad news from Congress before the August recess.

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National Debt Limit Countdown

On August 2, Treasury Secretary John Snow urged Congress to raise the federal debt limit without delay, and warned that the limit will be reached by late September or early October.

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National Retreat

A National Retreat on fostering a long-term proactive tax and policy initiaitive was held on June 13th and 14th in Baltimore Maryland. This page includes links to documents related to that event.

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Estate Tax Repeal Would Hurt Charitable Giving, New CBO Reports Say

Two new studies by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) find that a permanent repeal of the federal estate tax would greatly reduce charitable giving. The CBO estimated that overall charitable giving would decline between 6 and 12 percent, and the decline in charitable bequests would range from 20 to 30 percent, if the estate tax were fully repealed. Download full press release (.pdf)

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Debt ceiling to be hit soon

Aug 4, 2004 by Guest Blogger

It looks like the debt ceiling will be hit soon - late september/early october unless congress and the president act to raise the ceiling.

It does sound like there are some accounting gimmicks that could be used to extend until mid november.

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JEC Press Release Misinterprets Evidence on Charitable Bequ

Jul 30, 2004 by Guest Blogger

OMB Watch - JEC Press Release Misinterprets Evidence on Charitable Bequests

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 29, 2004 - The majority leadership of the Joint Economic Committee, in a recent press release dated July 28, 2004, pointed to an increase in charitable bequest giving as evidence that changes to the estate tax law have not impacted giving.

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JEC Press Release Misinterprets Evidence on Charitable Bequests

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 29, 2004 - The majority leadership of the Joint Economic Committee, in a recent press release dated July 28, 2004, pointed to an increase in charitable bequest giving as evidence that changes to the estate tax law have not impacted giving. Download Full Release (.pdf)

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Mid-Session Review Confirms Continuation of Record Deficits

Washington, D.C., July 30, 2004 - The White House's Office of Management and Budget today belatedly released its annual budgetary "Mid-Session Review," which attempts to put a positive spin on massive and worsening deficits and the lowest level of revenue in a half century. Download full press release (.pdf)

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