Revenue & Spending

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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House Passes Labor/HHS Bill; ANWR Attached To Defense Bill

Dec 15, 2005 by Guest Blogger

The House passed a $602 billion Labor/HHS Appropriations bill yesterday by a close vote of 215-213, nearly one month after twenty-two Republicans surprisingly voted with Democrats to defeat the initial bill that came out of conference. In the vote, all Democrats and only 12 Republicans voted against the bill, which provides $142.5 billion in discretionary funding (the remainder is automatic spending on entitlement programs). This discretionary amount is 0.1 percent - or $163 million - less than what was appropriated for FY 2005, and $785 million more than President Bush’s budget request.

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114 Arrested Protesting Immoral Budget and Tax Policies

Dec 14, 2005 by Guest Blogger

During a prayer vigil for "moral budget" today in the Capitol Rotunda, 114 people were arrested. The vigil was led by evangelist Jim Wallis of Call to Renewal, and it was one of approximately 63 prayer vigils taking place across the country today. Participants were acting in response to Congressional votes on the budget and tax reconciliation bills.

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Watcher: December 14, 2005

Dec 14, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Year in Review: More Poor Budgetary Stewardship Budget Cuts: The Final Showdown Tax Cuts: The Final Melee Congress Staggers Toward End-of-Session Finish Line

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Year in Review: More Poor Budgetary Stewardship

When it came to tax and budget issues, 2005 was an overwhelmingly disappointing year in the nation's capital. Facing long-term challenges and numerous obstacles, both President Bush and the U.S. Congress seemed to suffer from a severe case of disconnectedness from the fiscal and economic realities that should have moved them toward more rational, healthy tax and budget policies.

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Tax Cuts: The Final Melee

Continuing its trend of bucking compassion and fiscal responsibility in lieu of tax cuts for the wealthy, the House of Representatives voted last week to pass the $56 billion reconciliation tax bill. This vote, which came on the heels of the vote to save money by slashing mandatory spending, culminated what seemed to be a month of illogical, hypocritical voting.

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Budget Cuts: The Final Showdown

The Senate's return to Washington this week means that conferees have begun final negotiations on the budget reconciliation bill. The two versions of this bill, which aims to cut entitlement spending over five years, contain vast differences, particularly with respect to cuts to Medicaid, student loans, and food stamps.

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Congress Staggers Toward End-of-Session Finish Line

To the amazement of many and the pleasure of none, Congress is still in Washington this week trying to wrap up the 2005 legislative session. Only two must-pass bills remain incomplete (the Labor/Health & Human Services and Defense appropriations bills), yet both the House and Senate seem preoccupied with other matters--namely, the spending and tax reconciliation bills, immigration reform, pension overhaul, and reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act, which some consider another must-pass (at least temporarily as it expires at the end of this year).

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Is Tax Reform Dead for 2006?

Dec 13, 2005 by Adam Hughes*

TIME Magazine reporter Mike Allen writes in this week's edition that any significant tax reform attempts are likely to be postponed until at least 2007. Allen says: Bush aides tell TIME that the President is likely to postpone any big push for comprehensive tax reform--which looked like it would be a centerpiece of next year's agenda--until '07 or '08. In the meantime, he will probably start small by mentioning the issue in the State of the Union and other addresses next year.

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Deficit Up Sharply In November

Dec 13, 2005 by Guest Blogger

This November the Treasury recorded a n $83.1 billion deficit. The significant increase is partially due to hurricane payouts, as government spending is far exceeding tax receipts. The total deficit for the first two months of this fiscal year - which began October 1 - was $130.3 billion, or 13.1 percent higher than it was during the same period last year (when the Treasury reported a $115.2 billion deficit). Revenues for the month totaled $138.8 billion while spending was up to $221.9 billion.

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House Plays Shell Game With Labor/HHS Approps

Dec 13, 2005 by Adam Hughes*

House conferees to the Labor/HHS appropriations bill met last night to made adjustments to the conference report that was rejected by the full House on November 17. The conferees agreed to increase funding for rural health care programs by about $90 million and remove a provision barring coverage of erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra through Medicare.

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