Fiscal Policy Program: Latest Publications

What Obama Needs to Learn from the Failure of Bush's Social Security Plan and Clinton's Healthcare Reform

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:05:00 -0400

Health Reform's Savings Myth

Cecille Isidro — Sun, 31 May 2009 09:53:00 -0400

"Health-care reform is entitlement reform" has become a mantra of the Obama administration. The idea is that Congress can add a massive health-care program this year -- covering the uninsured -- and use the same measures that pay for the health reform to fix the broader budget problems. If that sounds too good to be true, there's a reason.

$4 Trillion in Exaggerated Savings

Cecille Isidro — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:41:00 -0400

On two separate issues -- health-care and the budget -- the president has promised savings of $2 trillion. A total of $4 trillion dollars -- now that's real money. Unfortunately, the claims are completely exaggerated.

The End of the Ownership Society?

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:08:00 -0500

In his second inaugural address, President Bush offered a vision of an "ownership society"

Stimulus Debt Burden Must Be Addressed Responsibly When the Bill Inevitably Comes Due

Cecille Isidro — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:21:00 -0500

Now is clearly not the time to balance the budget--even the most adamant deficit hawk knows that. But economic recovery will not be as simple as merely running up the government's credit card and calling it a day. Certainly, the U.S. economy is in very bad shape--but so too is the fiscal health of the country.