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Senate approves budget, Obama expected to sign
WASHINGTON — The Senate approved a bipartisan federal budget Wednesday that could lead to two rare years of fiscal stability for a government that’s lurched from showdown to showdown for two years. The modest plan largely maintains the status quo, doing nothing…
Social Security to run 12% deficit for next decade
Social Security has been running in the red for several years and will see a 12 percent gap between the taxes it’s collecting and the benefits it’s projected to pay out over the next 10 years, according to a report…
Alexander, Corker To Vote Against Budget Agreement
Senator Lamar Alexander on Tuesday released the following statement on Senate consideration of the budget agreement passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 332-94: “I will vote against the budget agreement because it avoids the federal government’s most…
Should the U.S. force citizens to save?
Americans aren’t saving enough to retire. This gap poses a problem for everyone, not just people who will face near-poverty when they can’t work anymore. Does that merit forcing people to save more? Retirement in America is supposed to be financed…
Budget deal avoids future shutdowns, entitlements
Last Sunday’s news-talk programs were applauding the Ryan-Murray budget deal. Most were trumpeting the fact that the deal will avoid the possibility of government shutdowns for two years. Then what? Well, none of the “experts” were addressing the seriousness of the…
Losers outnumber winners in budget compromise
The pundit consensus seems to be that Republicans lost in the just-concluded budget deal. Overall spending will be a bit higher than the level mandated by the sequester, the straitjacket imposed in 2011. Meanwhile, Democrats avoided making any concessions on…
Senate Advances Budget Deal, Clearing Way For Final Passage
The United States Senate advanced a budget compromise Tuesday that provides modest relief to across-the-board spending cuts and prevents another shutdown of the federal government in January. The upper chamber voted 67-33 on cloture, thus meeting the 60-vote threshold to begin…
Social Security begins processing survivor benefits for same-sex spouses
The Social Security Administration (SSA) said Monday it has begun processing, and paying, some survivor’s benefits for married, same-sex couples. Carolyn Colvin, acting commissioner of Social Security, said the agency is processing “some widow’s and widower’s claims by surviving members of same-sex marriages…
The young must remember they’re destined to get old
The largest problem the young have is they have no idea one day they will become old. I know this because there was a time not so long ago I was young. I had a full head of hair, my weight…
Federal workers’ pensions targeted in budget deal
Top lawmakers have found easy prey in their hunt for savings for Congress’ budget deal: Federal workers’ retirement programs, which are notably generous compared to the norm in private industry. Most federal civilian employees hired beginning in January will contribute 4.4…