Social Security and Medicare Cuts Are Coming, Whether Politicians Do It or Not
As legislators refuse to act, benefits will be cut without any possibility of sheltering those seniors who are poor.
Social Security
U.S. Will Add $18.8 Trillion in New Debt by 2033
Plus: Age verification for social media, a bill to ban cannabis "gatherings," and more...
3 Reasons To Abolish Social Security Now!
The old-age entitlement is unsustainable, unfair, and unnecessary. Replace it with something that helps the needy of any age.
Under No Circumstances Did Joe Biden Save Social Security
Plus: a listener question on prohibition and a lightning round on the editors' favorite Super Bowl moments
The Fight Over the Debt Ceiling Is Just Beginning
Legislators will increasingly argue over how to spend a diminishing discretionary budget while overall spending simultaneously explodes.
Are We Making Any Progress on Police Brutality?
Plus: The editors consider the ongoing debt ceiling drama and answer a listener question about ending the war on drugs.
Social Security Is on the Brink of Collapse. The GOP Won't Touch It.
In 1950, there were more than 16 workers for every beneficiary. In 2035, that ratio will be only 2.3 workers per retiree.
Donald Trump and J.D. Vance Say No Cuts for Social Security. That's Impossible.
Social Security benefits will be cut automatically in less than a decade unless Congress shores up the program before it hits insolvency. Ignoring that is not a solution.
The GOP's Current Plan To Cut Spending Is a Political Failure
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are still the chief drivers of our future debt. But Republicans aren't touching them.
To Win the Speakership, Kevin McCarthy Had To Promise To Cut Spending. Good.
While some Republicans may have had misguided motivations, a few disrupted McCarthy's campaign in order to enact fiscal restraint. Their colleagues were fine with business as usual.
Congress Can Reduce the Deficit by $7.7 Trillion in 10 Years
The Congressional Budget Office projects that future deficits will explode. But there's a way out.
Inflation Cools to 7.1 Percent, but Still Has a Long Way To Fall
Food prices were up 0.5 percent during November, even as energy prices fell by about 1.6 percent.
Republicans Need an Actual Plan To Grow the Economy
The biggest beneficiaries of economic growth are poor people. But the deepest case for economic growth is a moral one.
A GOP-Led Congress May Focus on Owning the Libs. Instead, It Should Focus on Owning Inflation.
If the midterms favor Republicans, their top priority needs to be the fight against inflation—whether or not they feel like they created the problem.
White House Deletes Tweet Praising Biden for Inflation
In a now-deleted tweet, the official White House Twitter account attempted to frame a mandated cost-of-living increase in Social Security checks as the result of President Biden's good "leadership."
What Will the GOP Do if It Wins?
Wait, are the midterms really about entitlement cuts?
Inflation Hits 8.2 Percent After Another Month of Sharply Rising Prices
Prices rose by 0.4 percent in September, faster than economists expected and indicating that rising interest rates aren't getting the job done.
A Few Ideas for the Better Government Americans Desperately Want
From cronyist subsidies to an unfair tax code, there are several key fixes Congress could make to better serve the public.
The Disappearing Differences Between Republicans and Democrats on Federal Family Spending
Many conservatives no longer appear to care much for fiscal conservatism.
The End of Roe Is Republicans' Latest Excuse for Growing the Size and Cost of Government
There is demand for child tax credits, paid family leave, and funding for crisis pregnancy centers but the Rubio-Romney plan is not the answer.
Social Security Is Running Toward Insolvency
Despite a few encouraging analyses, the numbers just don't add up.
Biden Brags About Falling Deficits, but the Federal Fiscal Situation Is Still 'Unsustainable'
Under current policies, Social Security and Medicare will consume 85 percent of all federal tax revenue by 2050.
Biden Is Trying To Pass a Wealth Tax—Again. It Could Be Unconstitutional.
The president's new budget plan calls on Congress to tax wealthy Americans' unrealized capital gains.
Our Insane Government Spending Will Hurt Our Response to Ukraine
We must face the reality that the debt does matter.
Joe Manchin Isn't the Fiscal Conservative We Need, but He's the Best We've Got
"Spending trillions more on new and expanded government programs, when we can't even pay for the essential social programs...is the definition of fiscal insanity."
Blame Both Parties if the Federal Government Shuts Down in December
Democrats want to raise the debt ceiling, while Republicans occasionally remember they're against big government spending.
How 9/11 Actually Changed Everything
Plus, why is no one talking about the Medicare Trustees' entitlement report?
Social Security Will Be Insolvent in 12 Years
Without policy changes, beneficiaries will receive only 78 percent of what was promised starting in 2034.
Biden Lectures Businesses About Vaccines While Fully Vaccinated Feds Stay Home From Work
The entire federal workforce is required to be vaccinated. So why is the federal bureaucracy still operating as if routine public interactions are a public health threat?
Shaky Social Security Trust Fund May Run Out in 11 Years
Are you ready for 30 percent cuts in benefits to keep the program alive?
Space Liberation!
Don't let naysayers fool you. Richard Branson's space flight is a boon for society.
Wanted: A Better Way To Think About Health Care
If social insurance plans had been designed by libertarian-leaning policy mechanics, what might they have produced?
America's Debt Will be Twice the Size of the Economy by 2050
The Congressional Budget Office warns that higher levels of debt will slow economic growth significantly in the years ahead.
Social Security Will Be Insolvent Even Sooner Than Expected, Thanks to COVID-19 Pandemic
A new report from the Social Security Administration expects the program to hit insolvency by 2035. Some experts say it could happen as soon as 2028 if there is a serious recession.
Trump Bashes Socialism While Endorsing a Status Quo Socialism of His Own
The president promised to protect Medicare and Social Security, America's biggest entitlement programs.
America's Forgotten Debt
Neither party is serious about reining in spending. This is unsustainable.
How Would Trump's Payroll Tax Cut Work? Glad You Asked!
The details are reeeaaaaaally sketchy, but here's what we know now.
A Truly Populist Social Security Reform
Politicians need to face the facts about Social Security.
Social Security Is Totally Secure. Or Is It? A Debate.
A Soho Forum debate over the trustworthiness of the $3 trillion trust fund
Trump's 2020 Campaign Kickoff Was a Nostalgic Throwback to…2016
The president's first big rally was a greatest hits show that dodged many of today's biggest issues.
Deficit Politics May Have Gone Away, but Debt and Deficits Are Worse Than Ever
The federal budget situation used to be an emergency. What happened?
Mick Mulvaney Turns His Back on Fiscal Responsibility
"Show me the majority for cutting spending," he says.
Social Security's Real Problem? Not Money, but Time.
When the program becomes insolvent in the 2030s, the inevitable cuts will hit today's workers and retirees.
Democratic Contenders Apologize for Everything Except Their Lousy Economic Policies
Being a presidential candidate means never having to say sorry for heavy-handed proposals to limit choice and promise free stuff.
Social Security Will Be Insolvent in 16 Years
So we're probably only 15 years away from Congress deciding that's a big enough crisis to do something about it.
Beto O'Rourke, 2012: 'We Cannot Continue to Spend Ourselves into Ruin'
The 2020 presidential candidate ran on spending cuts, troop withdrawls, and means-testing Social Security while primarying an incumbent Democrat 7 years ago.