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Senate Republicans Preview Budget Conference
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) just got off the phone with House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan on Monday when he offered a preview of his opener at the budget conference this week. In short: Expect a wonky hearing, with dashes of…
Most Americans adding debt faster than savings
More than half of Americans with 401(k) accounts are accumulating debt faster than they are putting away money for retirement, according to a new study which indicates the average 401(k) user puts around 11 percent of his income away for retirement…
Making Grown-Up Choices: A Republican View
Being an adult means making tough choices to do the right thing. Social Security and Medicare are unsustainable in their current form. This is a question of math, not ideology. Most of my Democratic colleagues agree that reform is needed,…
Can we save Social Security?
Yes, Social Security can be fixed. There’s a long-term deficit problem, but it’s far from a crisis yet. Projections show the trust fund will run out of money by 2033. At that point everyone’s benefits would have to be cut…
Marriage and Abortion are Economic Issues
Political discussions commonly assume there are two separate sets of issues. There’s a social agenda – issues like abortion and marriage. And there’s an economic agenda – issues like federal spending, debt, taxes, and government programs like entitlements. It’s assumed these two…
Washington Memo: We must not balance the budget on the backs of seniors
Last week, reasonable Republicans and Democrats in Congress voted to end the government shutdown and eliminate the threat of default. It was not a perfect solution, but a necessary compromise. As part of the compromise, Congress agreed to try to focus…
America has been living with unsustainable grand bargain
All the talk in Washington is about a grand bargain, but a grand bargain has already been in place. It’s having your cake and eating it, too. Put another way, Democrats and Republicans agree to new programs without realistic ways to pay…
President Obama, allies at odds on budget
A united front among congressional Democrats helped President Obama beat back the GOP in the recent budget showdown. But in the next fiscal tussle, set to begin this week, Democrats may be heading toward a party split that could prevent…
Hidden taxes in Obamacare
Recently, two letters have been published that declared the Tea Party’s failed in their agenda. These individuals compared the Affordable Care Act to be the same as Social Security when it was first implemented. Let’s look at some taxes that are…
Republicans hint at long-term strategy: ObamaCare website only ‘tip of the iceberg’
Republicans lawmakers on Sunday signaled that their efforts to dismantle ObamaCare will go well beyond criticizing the problem-filled website, saying computer glitches are only the “tip of the iceberg” for the federal health care plan. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told “Fox…