Taxes & Budget
Coverage of the national budget and your taxes.
Republicans release budget instructions for filibuster-proof defense, SAVE America Act package
House Republicans on Wednesday announced their blueprint for a filibuster-proof budget bill that will spend up to $95 billion on defense, restocking weapons used in the Iran war, aid to farmers and implementation of voter ID requirements.
Schumer gets his Democrats ready for another shutdown showdown
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Monday warned of a government shutdown in October over spending on the Iran war.
House passes bill to recover COVID-era unemployment insurance fraud
A bill to create a federal task force to recover unemployment insurance fraud that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic has passed the House.
Trump derides bipartisan housing affordability bill as ‘so unimportant’ and ‘a yawn’
President Trump said Monday that he hasn’t decided whether to sign a bipartisan bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing, saying it was “so unimportant” compared to his stalled election-integrity legislation.
Happy birthday, America! Now, the fight over the bill
Starting with America’s centennial in 1876, every 50-year milestone has had financial drama over who pays for the party — a pattern that continues this year.
Trump inspects sites critical to D.C. makeover plan
President Trump spent his Sunday morning touring two sites he’s targeted as part of his makeover of the nation’s capital.
Left-pressured Newsom calls for ‘national billionaires tax’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is seizing on the Democratic Party’s anti-billionaire movement, despite his opposition to a ballot initiative that would tax his state’s 200 resident billionaires.
GOP congressional agenda stalled over tactical disagreements on SAVE America Act
President Trump and some of his MAGA allies in the House are ramping up their tactics to advance the GOP’s stalled election integrity bill and effectively shutting down Congress in the process.
House probes IRS failure to nab tax dodgers in federal workforce; more than $6 billion owed
More than 571,000 current and retired federal employees owe $6.3 billion in taxes, a delinquency rate that has been increasing steadily despite threatening letters from the IRS.
Food stamp overpayment rate was 9% last year
The country’s food stamp overpayment rate topped 9% last year, the Agriculture Department announced Wednesday, as states continue to struggle with fraud and waste in the program.
Teachers unions attack while Democratic governors embrace Trump’s school choice program
Some Democratic governors have signaled plans to join President Trump’s federal school choice program, prompting teachers unions to launch a counterattack.
House clears bipartisan housing affordability package for Trump’s signature
The House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan package of bills that lawmakers say will help Americans struggling to afford housing.
Judge says food stamps can be used to buy candy, soda
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot bar the use of food stamps to buy candy and sugary drinks.
Congress poised to send major housing package to Trump’s desk
Congress will soon send President Trump bipartisan legislation designed to increase housing supply and lower the costs of homeownership, one of the many affordability challenges Americans are facing.
Tax the rich? California voters will decide in November; other states could follow
The anti-billionaire movement has taken hold in California, where voters provided enough signatures to force a landmark ballot initiative that would levy a one-time, 5% tax on the state’s richest residents.
Twenty-six jurisdictions to hike minimum wage next month
Twenty-six state and local governments will raise their minimum wage on July 1 — a flurry of legislative action that supporters say is long overdue and critics insist will worsen the nation’s affordability crisis.
‘Moral’ mission: Grover Norquist zings wealthy Democrat Ro Khanna on wealth tax
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist is calling on Rep. Ro Khanna to practice what he preaches on wealth taxes, sending the California Democrat a letter urging him to voluntarily write a check to the federal government equal to 5% of his reported $232.7 million net worth.