Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
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Papers

View our recurring reports, which summarize and analyze the most important regular federal budget releases and reports.

Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump
Oct 18, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

What Would Clinton and Trump Need to Do to Address the Debt Along with their Policy Agendas?

We recently estimated that Clinton's policies would likely add $200 billion to the debt over the next decade, while Trump’s policies...
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Sep 22, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

Promises and Price Tags: An Update

Update: On November 2, 2016, we added an appendix to this update that summarizes the policies that the candidates have released.  The next...
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Social Security
Sep 20, 2016 | Social Security

Sizing Up Social Security's Solvency Challenge

Social Security faces a large shortfall between scheduled benefits and dedicated revenue, and the program is currently on a path toward insolvency....
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Sep 8, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

Fix The Debt Co-Chair Senator Judd Gregg's Testimony on the Direction, Drivers and Dangers of the Federal Debt

On September 8, 2016, Campaign to Fix the Debt Co-Chair and former Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) testified before the Joint Economic Committee on "...
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Sep 8, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

CRFB Co-Chair Governor Mitch Daniels's Testimony on the Direction, Drivers and Dangers of the Federal Debt

On September 8, 2016, CRFB Co-Chair and president of Purdue University Governor Mitch Daniels testified before the Joint Economic Committee on "...
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Alice Rivlin
Sep 8, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

CRFB Board Member Alice Rivlin's Testimony on the Direction, Drivers, and Dangers of the Federal Debt

On September 8, 2016, CRFB Board Member and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Alice Rivlin testified before the Joint Economic Committee on "...
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Concept_Stock Market_Recession
Sep 7, 2016 | Budgets & Projections| Economics

Running on Empty? Fiscal Space and the Next Recession

The national debt increased dramatically during and after the Great Recession, rising from 35 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2007 to 66...
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Concept_DC_Capitol Building
Aug 23, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

Report: Analysis of CBO's August 2016 Budget and Economic Outlook

Budget deficits are on the rise, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) budget and economic projections released today....
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Concept_DC_Capitol Building
Aug 11, 2016 | Budget Process

The Better Budget Process Initiative: Senate Budget Procedures - Prospects for Reform

Before the Senate adjourned in July for summer recess, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) released an outline recommending changes to...
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Concept_Taxes_Calculator_Business
Jul 12, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

Report: The 2016 CBO Long-Term Budget Outlook

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its 2016 Long-Term Budget Outlook today, outlining the projected budget picture for the next three...
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Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump
Jul 6, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

Chartbook: Promises and Price Tags

Below is a new chartbook with the key figures and graphs from our paper, Promises and Price Tags: A Fiscal Guide to the 2016 Election. 
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Concept_Buttons_2016
Jun 27, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

Promises and Price Tags: A Fiscal Guide to the 2016 Election

NOTE: This is an old version of this analysis and contains out-of-date estimates with policies proposed through June 24, 2016. It has been...
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Social Security
Jun 22, 2016 | Social Security

Analysis of the 2016 Social Security Trustees Report

Today, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports on the financial status of each program. The projections show that...
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Maya MacGuineas
Jun 15, 2016 | Budget Process

Maya MacGuineas's Testimony on Setting a Fiscal Goal

On June 15th, CRFB President Maya MacGuineas testified before the House Budget Committee on "Setting a Fiscal Goal." Her written testimony is below.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders
May 19, 2016 | Budgets & Projections

Adding Up Senator Sanders's Campaign Proposals So Far

UPDATED: Previous versions of this analysis were published on April 7 and May 9, 2016. The analysis below, updated on May 19, incorporates the...
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Concept_DC_Capitol Building
May 16, 2016 | Budget Process

Updated Appropriations 101

Note: We have updated this paper, please see our Updated Appropriations 101. What are appropriations? Appropriations are annual decisions made by...
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Donald Trump
May 9, 2016

Adding Up Donald Trump's Campaign Proposals So Far

NOTE: This version of this analysis is now out of date. The most current version of the analysis can be found in our paper "Promises and...
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Sen. Bernie Sanders
May 9, 2016

Adding Up Senator Sanders's Campaign Proposals So Far

NOTE: This is an archive version of this analysis and contains out-of-date estimates. The most up-to-date analysis can be found here: http://...
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Secretary Clinton
May 2, 2016

Adding Up Secretary Clinton's Campaign Proposals So Far

NOTE: This version of this analysis is now out of date. The most current version of the analysis can be found in our paper "Promises and...
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Apr 27, 2016 | Social Security

Nine Social Security Myths You Shouldn’t Believe

Social Security is a vital program for tens of millions of seniors, dependents, and workers with disabilities, and it has been a hot topic of...
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