U.S. Federal Budgets & Deficits

List of U.S. Federal Budgets & Deficits articles

Reporters holding cell phones and microphones crowd around McCarthy inside the U.S. Capitol.
Reporters holding cell phones and microphones crowd around McCarthy inside the U.S. Capitol.

The Debt Ceiling Deal Highlights America’s Warped Priorities

By failing to invest in its own people, the United States shows the world the shakiness of the foundations of its power.

Mark Milley is shown from the side in uniform, sitting before a microphone.
Mark Milley is shown from the side in uniform, sitting before a microphone.

DoD’s Making a List—and Checking It Twice

The Pentagon’s warfighting commands have sent billions in wish lists to Congress. Some lawmakers want to give them a lump of coal.

The Pentagon is seen in Arlington, Virginia, on March 8.
The Pentagon is seen in Arlington, Virginia, on March 8.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita takes part in a virtual meeting with his U.S. and Israeli counterparts from his office in Rabat, Morocco, on Dec. 22, 2021.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita takes part in a virtual meeting with his U.S. and Israeli counterparts from his office in Rabat, Morocco, on Dec. 22, 2021.

Morocco’s Diplomatic Morass

Despite Washington’s about-face on Western Sahara, the erstwhile darling of U.S. policy circles is more isolated than ever.

An Indian Youth Congress activist takes part in a protest against rising fuel prices in Siliguri, India, on Feb. 26.
An Indian Youth Congress activist takes part in a protest against rising fuel prices in Siliguri, India, on Feb. 26.

Specter of Stagflation Hangs Over Emerging Markets

Rich countries’ pandemic policies are sucking growth and capital out of the developing world.

offshore tax havens coronavirus money
offshore tax havens coronavirus money

To Pay for the Pandemic, Dry Out the Tax Havens

Corporations and the wealthy have stashed away as much as $36 trillion in untaxed money. It's time to bring the hammer down.

South Korean warplanes at at U.S. Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek
South Korean warplanes at at U.S. Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek

Want to Fix the Deficit? Bring Home the Troops.

As U.S. federal spending surges amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s time to trim the real fat.

abbas
abbas

The Smart Way to End ‘Pay to Slay’

Washington wants to stop the Palestinian Authority from incentivizing violence. But if it's not careful, it could push the region further into chaos.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 09: U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivers a statement regarding Qatar at the State Department, June 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. Tillerson called on Mideast countries to ease the blockade on Qatar. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 09: U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivers a statement regarding Qatar at the State Department, June 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. Tillerson called on Mideast countries to ease the blockade on Qatar. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Tillerson to Shutter State Department War Crimes Office

Critics charge top U.S. diplomat with giving the green light to perpetrators of mass atrocities.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 16: (L to R) Koro Bessho, Japanese ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Cho Tae-yul, South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations, arrive a press briefing before a meeting of the United Nations Security Council concerning North Korea, May 16, 2017 in New York City. Following another ballistic missile test launch from North Korea, the UN Security Council once again condemned the isolated nation. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 16: (L to R) Koro Bessho, Japanese ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Cho Tae-yul, South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations, arrive a press briefing before a meeting of the United Nations Security Council concerning North Korea, May 16, 2017 in New York City. Following another ballistic missile test launch from North Korea, the UN Security Council once again condemned the isolated nation. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Nikki Haley and Trump’s Doctrine of Diplomatic Chaos

The U.S. envoy to the U.N. concedes that American foreign policy is unpredictable, and that's OK.

Demonstrators  wave flags and banners in front of the White House in Washington on October 11, 2009 as tens of thousands of gay activists marched to demand civil rights, a day after President Barack Obama vowed to repeal a ban on gays serving openly in the US military.        AFP PHOTO/Maria Belen PEREZ GABILONDO (Photo credit should read Maria Belen Perez Gabilondo/AFP/Getty Images)
Demonstrators wave flags and banners in front of the White House in Washington on October 11, 2009 as tens of thousands of gay activists marched to demand civil rights, a day after President Barack Obama vowed to repeal a ban on gays serving openly in the US military. AFP PHOTO/Maria Belen PEREZ GABILONDO (Photo credit should read Maria Belen Perez Gabilondo/AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 06: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives back at the White House from after spending the weekend in Florida, on February 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. Earlier in the day trump visited U.S. Central Command where he spoke to troops there.  (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 06: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives back at the White House from after spending the weekend in Florida, on February 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. Earlier in the day trump visited U.S. Central Command where he spoke to troops there. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A man carries fake nuclear barrels during a demonstration to demand the closure of Fessenheim nuclear power plant on March 12, 2017 in Fessenheim, eastern France. 
  / AFP PHOTO / SEBASTIEN BOZON        (Photo credit should read SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images)
A man carries fake nuclear barrels during a demonstration to demand the closure of Fessenheim nuclear power plant on March 12, 2017 in Fessenheim, eastern France. / AFP PHOTO / SEBASTIEN BOZON (Photo credit should read SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images)

Cutting Funding to the IAEA Is a Horrible Idea

If you care about national security or the war on terrorism, why would you cut the nuclear nonproliferation budget?

DUCZE, CYPRUS - MARCH 06:  A United Nations metal flag with a bullet hole in it stands on a U.N. peacekeepers' viewing platform near a militarized zone of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) next to the British Soverign Base Area on March 6, 2017 near Duzce, Cyprus. Cyprus has been divided into a Greek south and Turkish north ever since the brief but devastating war of 1974. Since then United Nations peacekeepers have maintained a buffer zone that runs through the capital city of Nicosia and across the entire island to keep the factions apart. In the south the Greek-dominated Republic of Cyprus is internationally-recognized and a member of the European Union, while in the north the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) is recognized only by Turkey, which also has tens of thousands of troops stationed there. Negotiations over possible reunification have made strident progress over the last few years, though they have stalled in recent months. Britain maintains two military bases on the southern part of the island that it controls as soverign territory.  (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
DUCZE, CYPRUS - MARCH 06: A United Nations metal flag with a bullet hole in it stands on a U.N. peacekeepers' viewing platform near a militarized zone of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) next to the British Soverign Base Area on March 6, 2017 near Duzce, Cyprus. Cyprus has been divided into a Greek south and Turkish north ever since the brief but devastating war of 1974. Since then United Nations peacekeepers have maintained a buffer zone that runs through the capital city of Nicosia and across the entire island to keep the factions apart. In the south the Greek-dominated Republic of Cyprus is internationally-recognized and a member of the European Union, while in the north the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) is recognized only by Turkey, which also has tens of thousands of troops stationed there. Negotiations over possible reunification have made strident progress over the last few years, though they have stalled in recent months. Britain maintains two military bases on the southern part of the island that it controls as soverign territory. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Trump Administration Eyes $1 Billion in Cuts to U.N. Peacekeeping

The White House also targets hundreds of millions in funding for U.N. programs for children and the poor.

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 03:  GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump speaks at a news conference in Manhattan after he signed a pledge Thursday to support the Republican nominee in the 2016 general election, ruling out a third-party or independent run on September 3, 2015 in New York City. Trump made the announcement following a meeting with  Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus. Trump stressed repeatedly in the news conference that he is leading in all national polls.  (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 03: GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump speaks at a news conference in Manhattan after he signed a pledge Thursday to support the Republican nominee in the 2016 general election, ruling out a third-party or independent run on September 3, 2015 in New York City. Trump made the announcement following a meeting with Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus. Trump stressed repeatedly in the news conference that he is leading in all national polls. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

If Anyone Can Bankrupt the United States, Trump Can

The president-elect’s economic plan is a ticket to debtor’s prison.

GettyImages-464522532_11-6
GettyImages-464522532_11-6

The End of Responsible Budgeting As We Know It

Washington has kicked any semblance of defense budget discipline to the curb.

GettyImages-493568444_10-23
GettyImages-493568444_10-23

Congress Is Running Around Playing Budgetary Chicken With Its Head Cut Off

Republican dysfunction returns, just in time for another budget fight.

WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 14:  Workers work on an elevator shaft in front of the U.S. Capitol during construction of The Capitol Visitor Center December 14, 2004 in Washington, DC. The new center will include space for security, exhibits, food services, two orientation theaters, an auditorium, gift shops, a service tunnel for truck loading and deliveries, mechanical facilities and storage.   (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 14: Workers work on an elevator shaft in front of the U.S. Capitol during construction of The Capitol Visitor Center December 14, 2004 in Washington, DC. The new center will include space for security, exhibits, food services, two orientation theaters, an auditorium, gift shops, a service tunnel for truck loading and deliveries, mechanical facilities and storage. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Congress and the Coming Budget ‘Punt’ You Can Count On

Why the Republican-dominated Congress isn’t going to pass the appropriations bills we need to actually run the government.

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