Fiscal Policy: Media Appearances and Press Releases

Maya MacGuineas in the Washington Post | 'Candidates Diverge on How to Save Social Security'

Communications — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:34:00 -0400

New America in the News:
...Maya MacGuineas, a budget expert at the New America Foundation who advised McCain on Social Security in 2000, said of his proposal: "In terms of details, there is so much to be filled in..." LINK

Jacob Hacker in CQPolitics | 'The Crisis of Choice'

Communications — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:25:00 -0400

New America in the News:

...Jacob Hacker, a political scientist at the University of California Berkeley and author of “The Great Risk Shift,” said Democratic leaders have been frustrated by several factors since taking the majority of the House and Senate after the 2006 elections: comparatively thin majorities, especially in the Senate; their insistence on adhering to pay-as-you-go budget rules that often require tax increases to support any substantial new spending; and the fact that relief bills such as the housing measure are limited in scope and largely throw money at a problem, instead of solving it.

“If the major issue for middle-class Americans is the loss of overall value in their homes, helping people refinance and stay in their houses won’t fundamentally alter those concerns,” Hacker said. “You probably need to do more and create a new financial structure around housing because it’s so important to middle-class security, say by shoring up unemployment insurance and helping states deal with the effects of downturns...” LINK

New America Report in ReportNet | 'Hunger grows, pie shrinks'

Communications — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:33:00 -0400

New America in the News:
...According to the Urban Institute and New America Foundation report, federal spending on children's nutrition programs increased by a tenth of a percent from 2006 to 2007.

Other children's programs that have seen at least some increase in federal spending, the report notes, include school improvement (.4 percent), and foster care (.8 percent). Those in decline include Head Start (down 2.5 percent) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (down 2.8 percent)...LINK

Maya MacGuineas in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | 'Alternative Minimum Tax Patch in Works'

Communications — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:49:00 -0400

New America in the News:

The Blue Dog Coalition, a group of House Democrats that bills itself as fiscally conservative, has successfully pressured House leaders to make sure the bill keeps within the contours of the chamber's PAYGO, short for "pay-as-you-go" rule, which requires new expenditures or tax cuts to be offset by tax increases or spending cuts...

"PAYGO worked for small things, but it is proving to have absolutely no teeth in forcing people to make hard choices," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a Washington group that advocates fiscal discipline... LINK (subscription required)

New America and Terror Free Tomorrow's Opinion Survey in Times of India | 'Majority of Pakistanis say Musharraf Should Resign'

Communications — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:30:00 -0400

New America in the News:
A majority of Pakistanis favour their government not fighting al-Qaida and Taliban but negotiating with the terror outfits, while viewing US as the greatest threat to their personal safety, according to a survey by a US agency...

"Forty-four per cent of Pakistanis think the US poses the greatest threat to their safety while the so-called arch rival India comes at second place with only 14 per cent find it as a threat," the poll conducted by US-based Terror Free Tomorrow: The Center for Public Opinion and the New America Foundation said...LINK

Maya MacGuineas in Reuters | 'Bush Policies Limit Next President's Options'

Communications — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:07:00 -0400

New America in the News:
...Democratic candidate Barack Obama has outlined a range of ambitious programs, from rebuilding the nation's bridges to extending health care to the nation's 47 million uninsured, that could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

Republican John McCain hopes to make Bush's 2001 and 2003 income-tax cuts permanent, cut the corporate tax rate and simplify the tax code. These measures could dramatically slash federal revenue.

"While each of them is running on one agenda, whoever wins, the day they enter office another is going to be presented to them," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Budget and a budget expert with the New America Foundation... LINK

Maya MacGuineas in OMB Watch | 'Economy Putting Pressure on PAYGO Principles?'

Communications — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:37:00 -0400

New America in the News:
On June 12, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said it was possible that the jobless benefits, the veterans education benefits and a second stimulus package would not be offset, or even should be, given economic conditions. Said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB): "While it made sense to pass the first stimulus bill without worrying about how to pay for it, the economy has now become a tired excuse for fiscally irresponsible policies. If we want to spend money on unemployment, veterans, or anything else, we need to find a way to pay for the spending." LINK

Maya MacGuineas in Washington Post | 'McCain Camp Distorts Obama's Tax Policies, Exaggerates Their Adverse Impact'

Communications — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:56:00 -0400

New America in the News:
...Maya MacGuineas, a budget expert at the New America Foundation, said the McCain camp is trying to create an exaggerated impression of the number of people from lower- and middle-income groups who would be hurt by Obama's tax proposals. "It is legitimate to say that they can find a cleaning person or a waitress somewhere who will be affected, but the numbers should not be overwhelming," she said...LINK

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in the New York Sun| 'Alarm Is Sounded on Entitlements'

Communications — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:16:00 -0400

New America in the News:

...Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle said, "I am encouraged by Congressman Ryan's leadership in his efforts to address this serious problem that continues to swallow the budget and swamp our economy."

And the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget agreed: "It shows tremendous courage and leadership on Congressman Ryan's part that he is willing to lay out a comprehensive and detailed plan ...." LINK

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in New York Sun | "Alarm Is Sounded on Entitlements"

Communications — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:06:00 -0400

New America in the News:

...And the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget agreed: "It shows tremendous courage and leadership on Congressman Ryan's part that he is willing to lay out a comprehensive and detailed plan ... ."

Full article

Maya MacGuineas in Washington Post | "McCain Camp Distorts Obama's Tax Policies, Exaggerates Their Adverse Impact"

Communications — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:02:00 -0400

New America in the News:

. . . Maya MacGuineas, a budget expert at the New America Foundation, said the McCain camp is trying to create an exaggerated impression of the number of people from lower- and middle-income groups who would be hurt by Obama's tax proposals. "It is legitimate to say that they can find a cleaning person or a waitress somewhere who will be affected, but the numbers should not be overwhelming," she said. . .

Full article

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget | Spratt Floor Statement - FY 2009 Budget Conference Report

Communications — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:11:00 -0400

New America in the News:

The Commitee on the Budget posted the full text of a floor statement on the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Conference Report made by House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt.

...“As I have mentioned already, this conference agreement extends tax cuts to help middle-income families caught in the current slump. For example, we protect some 20 million middle-income households from being hit by the Alternative Minimum Tax. Our budget accommodates extension of the middle-income tax cuts, including the child tax credit, marriage penalty relief, and the ten percent individual income tax bracket, in accordance with the pay-as-you-go principle so as not to burden future generations with more debt.

“Our friends on the other side of the aisle will claim that this budget raises taxes. This budget does not raise taxes. But don’t take my word for it; here is what experts outside Congress say:

• The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: “The conference agreement does not raise taxes.”

• The Hamilton Project of the Brookings Institution: “The budget would not raise taxes.”

• The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “This year’s budget plan does not include a tax increase.”

Maya MacGuineas in National Journal | "McCain and Obama on the Economy"

Communications — Sat, 31 May 2008 11:54:00 -0400

New America in the News:

. . . Although sharp contrasts are evident in the policies and philosophies of McCain and Obama on the economy, Maya MacGuineas, president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, sees one fundamental similarity: To a surprising extent, especially when compared with other recent presidential campaigns, “what we’re hearing from both candidates, at this point, seems so out of touch with the reality” of looming budget problems.

Surprising, because both candidates early on seemed quite aware of the budget reality, said MacGuineas, a McCain staffer in his 2000 presidential campaign who has had contact with both camps. Polls showed that the lack of spending restraint hurt Republican candidates in 2006 and helped Democrats lay claim to being the party of fiscal responsibility. McCain’s history seemed to make him the ideal candidate to reverse the GOP’s recent turn toward tax cuts without spending cuts, MacGuineas said. And after meeting with Obama early in the campaign, she said, “I got the idea that he really understood the budget challenges” and saw political opportunity in drawing a sharp distinction with Bush’s approach.

And yet, “you wouldn’t know it from the agendas [the two] are putting out,” MacGuineas said. Both candidates are pledging to continue most of the Bush tax cuts, while proposing costly new initiatives—in McCain’s case, the elimination of the alternative minimum tax, a cut in corporate income taxes, and the acceleration of depreciation for new investments in capital goods; for Obama, in addition to his tax cuts, a huge new commitment to universal health care. . .

The full article (subcription only).

Mark Paul in Napa Valley Register| 'A Time for Tax Reform'

Communications — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:56:00 -0400

New America in the News:
...“The goal of tax reform should be twofold,” Mark Paul of the New America Foundation, a cheerleader for tax reform, has written. “One is to generate a more reliable revenue stream. The other is to make the tax code more reflective of California’s changing economy, which in turn could stimulate more growth...” LINK

Maya MacGuineas on American Public Media's Marketplace | "Managing a National Debt Addiction"

Communications — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:26:00 -0400

New America in the News:

While congressional negotiators build a federal budget for 2009, a group of bipartisan budget experts are launching a campaign to wean the government off what they call a debt addiction. John Dimsdale reports.

RENITA JABLONSKI: In Washington today, House and Senate negotiators will try to sketch out a federal budget for 2009. At the same time, across town, a group of bipartisan budget experts will launch a campaign to wean the government from what they say is a debt addiction. John Dimsdale reports.

JOHN DIMSDALE: Ever spend money you haven't got? The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says the government does it all the time. Today, the nonprofit group issues a 12-step program to help politicians deal with their addiction to spending money the government doesn't have. Maya MacGuineas is the group's president. She says politicians are to blame for deepening deficits -- but they aren't the only ones.

MAYA MACGUINEAS: We also have to ask voters to pay attention to these issues and not be kind of hoodwinked that you can have it all. Nobody really believes that we can have big tax cuts, new spending initiatives, and somehow we're not going to have to pay the price sooner or later.

The bipartisan committee's political stars include former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and former Fed Chief Paul Volcker. They're asking the presidential candidates to make "living within our means" a priority. That includes fixing Social Security and health care, paying for any new spending, and using honest numbers.

Listen to this story on Marketplace's website: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/20/us_debt_addiction.

Nation’s Budget Experts Say Politicians 'Addicted' To Debt; Launch 12-Step Recovery Program

Communications — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:33:00 -0400

Washington, DC – The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group of some of the most highly respected budget experts in the United States that includes former directors of the Office of Management and Budget, Congressional Budget Office, and Government Accountability Office, as well as many former members of Congress, today launched US Budget Watch, a critically important new effort to force the 2008 presidential candidates to pay attention to the deteriorating federal budget situation.

US Budget Watch, which today released its “Twelve Principles for Fiscal Responsibility,” announced that it will continue to monitor the campaigns’… more

Maya MacGuineas in CQ | House Democrats Aim to bring Their War Supplemental

Communications — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:38:00 -0400

New America in the News:
. . . “The Blue Dogs are the heroes of this situation,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “I think the Blue Dogs are really flexing their muscles and showing they’re not going to vote for unpaid new spending programs.” . . . For the entire article, go to CQ.com.

CRFB in Chicago Tribune | "Republicans' Fight Against Tax Realities"

Communications — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:08:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Full article

. . . [John McCain] rules out tax increases to cut the deficit, while vowing to get tough on spending. But the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says that while his proposals would slow the growth of spending, total outlays would still rise faster than inflation. Result: a larger deficit. . .

New America Foundation's Mark Paul Praises the Governor and Assembly Speaker for their Tax Reform Proposals

Communications — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:26:00 -0400

Sacramento, California -- The New America Foundation today commended California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and new Assembly Speaker Karen Bass for their proposals to create a tax reform commission to look at modernizing California's tax system.

"California's tax system, much of its created in the 1930s, hasn't kept up with the transformation of state's economy," said Senior Scholar Mark Paul, who is also the deputy director of New America's California program. "By making tax reform a priority, the governor and the speaker have taken a critical first step toward creating a tax system that reliably creates revenue for public services while promoting… more

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Event Covered By the Wall Street Journal | 'Vital Signs in Health-Care Debate'

Communications — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:45:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Full article

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s April 29 event that highlighted the presidential candidates' domestic policy plans appeared in David Wessel’s column in The Wall Street Journal (5/1/08). New America's Health Policy Program Director is quoted in the article.

. . Mr. Nichols says that Sen. McCain's plan to allow people in one state to buy individual insurance in another -- essentially deregulating this part of the insurance market -- amounts to "ideology trumping policy." Rational insurers will attract the healthy with low premiums and boost premiums for those with pre-existing conditions. "Fifty to 75 million Americans will discover what 'actuarially fair' really means," he says. (Sharply higher premiums.) The result, he predicts, will be a rush to Medicare-for-all that Republicans will hate. . .