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Saturday November 21, 2009

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SPOTLIGHT: Health Care


REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi - Consumer paying a bill in Boston

Save to My Portfolio Bend the Revenue Curve: Health Reform Alone Won't End Deficits

Henry J. Aaron and Isabel V. Sawhill, October 13, 2009

Although health care reform is intended to bend the curve of spending and reduce the deficit, it alone will not be enough, say Henry Aaron and Isabel Sawhill. They propose that Congress enact a value-added tax, the equivalent of a broad-based sales tax on all goods and services. The revenue from the new tax, and other sources, should be linked directly to public health care spending through a newly created trust fund which would pay for all federal health care spending. Read More

Health Care, Taxes, U.S. Economy

SPOTLIGHT: Saving


Reuters/Rick Wilking - Child carries a U.S. flag in his mouth.

Save to My Portfolio Stop Kicking the Fiscal Can Down the Road

Isabel V. Sawhill, June 11, 2009

While the government has been busy with bailouts, who is going to bail out the U.S. government when our creditors tire of lending to us? And now, thanks to the stimulus, virtually all those over age of 65 are receiving $250 checks, regardless of whether or not they need it. Isabel Sawhill says it’s time for Congress and the administration to get serious about getting our fiscal house in order. Take our survey on these $250 checks here. Read More

Saving, Fiscal Policy, U.S. Economic Stimulus, Federal Budget, U.S. Economy

SPOTLIGHT: Federal Budget


i-stockphoto - boardroom

Save to My Portfolio The Potential Role of Entitlement or Budget Commissions in Addressing Long-term Budget Problems

The Fiscal Seminar Group, June 02, 2009

The United States faces a looming fiscal imbalance brought on by an aging population and rising health care costs. Yet, the current political environment discourages our leadership from making the tough choices required to fix our fiscal house. In this paper, a diverse group of budget experts reviews some of the recent history of appointed commissions, and discusses their potential role in long-term federal budgeting policy. Read More

Federal Budget, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, U.S. Economy

SPOTLIGHT: U.S. Economy


Reuters/Jim Young - U.S. President Barack Obama takes part in a town hall meeting.

Save to My Portfolio New Approaches to Addressing Long-Term Fiscal Responsibility

February 19, 2009

A bipartisan group of budget experts from 7 different organizations view President Obama’s Fiscal Responsibility summit as a good first step to addressing the enormous long-term fiscal problem facing the United States, but urge him to lead a major public engagement effort – beyond a one-day summit – to inform Americans of the scale and nature of the long-term fiscal crisis, explain the consequences of inaction and discuss the options for solving the problem. The effort should include the creation of an independent and truly bipartisan commission or other mechanism capable of bringing about decisive action that has broad public support. Read More

U.S. Economy, U.S. Economic Growth, Budget Deficit, Federal Budget, Fiscal Policy

About Us

The Budgeting for National Priorities project promotes greater fiscal responsibility by developing new ideas, educating the public and finding common ground among experts and policy-makers.

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Save to My Portfolio How To Take Back Our Fiscal Future

March 31, 2008

The National Press Club

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Recent Research and Commentary

Federal Budget An Update on the Economic and Fiscal Crises: 2009 and Beyond

William G. Gale, Alan J. Auerbach, September 2009

Fiscal Policy Here Comes the Next Fiscal Crisis

William G. Gale, Alan J. Auerbach, July 08, 2009

U.S. Economy The Scouting Report: Sparring Over Obama's First Budget

Federal Budget Making a Good Budget Better

Alice M. Rivlin, March 26, 2009

More Recent Research and Commentary »

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Spotlight

ExpertMark McClellan

Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

ExpertAmy Liu

Amy Liu is deputy director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Her policy studies include economic competitiveness, metropolitan growth and development, governance reforms, urban reinvestment, and social equity.

TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any society requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work extends beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions, higher education and the challenges of education in developing countries.

ExpertDomenico Lombardi

As president of the Oxford Institute for Economic Policy, Domenico Lombardi’s work at Brookings focuses on the international financial crisis and the reform of the IMF and the World Bank. He is an expert on G-20 and G8 Summits.

TopicHealth Care

Brookings is committed to producing innovative policy solutions to our nation’s most difficult challenges. The country may face no more important domestic policy challenge than the much-needed reform of our health care system. Through an institution-wide effort, Brookings delivers new ideas and offers policy solutions to improve health care both at home and globally.

ExpertTed Gayer

Ted Gayer is the co-director of the Economic Studies program and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He conducts research on a variety of economic issues, focusing particularly on public finance, environmental and energy economics, housing, and regulatory policy.

ExpertIsabel V. Sawhill

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings.

Policy CenterCenter on Children and Families

The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America's children and their parents and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in the United States.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

ExpertFederiga Bindi

Federiga Bindi is a leading expert on European political integration. She has a broad experience in government and held a number of posts in international organizations. Bindi currently serves as an advisor to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her research focuses on the EU, transatlantic relations; EU states foreign policies, global governance issues.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

ExpertMwangi S. Kimenyi

Mwangi S. Kimenyi is a senior fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative. He focuses on Africa's development, including institutions for economic growth, the political economy, and private sector development.

Research ProjectBrookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement

The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement monitors displacement problems worldwide, works with governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society to create more effective policies and institutional arrangements for Internally Displaed Persons.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.