May 23 Watch 6:08 Economist Mark Zandi on the potential impacts of the U.S. defaulting on its debt By William Brangham, Shoshana Dubnow The impact of the U.S. defaulting on its debt would be felt by many Americans. It could include suspension of Social Security checks or a loss of food stamp benefits, to name just a few. Many economists argue it would… Continue watching
Feb 23 Watch 7:44 Republican Rep. Tom Cole discusses debt ceiling and issues facing a divided Congress By Geoff Bennett, Kyle Midura Every second, the U.S. falls about $43,000 deeper into debt. Lawmakers will need to raise the country’s borrowing limit in the coming months to avoid a catastrophic financial fallout at home and around the world. Republican Rep. Tom Cole is… Continue watching
Feb 09 Watch 6:42 How Biden reignited debate over Social Security and Medicare during his State of the Union By Lisa Desjardins, Saher Khan Democrats and Republicans have been sparring for months over the federal government’s two main safety net programs, Social Security and Medicare. In the State of the Union address, President Biden said some Republicans want to target the programs for cuts. Continue watching
Feb 18 Biden signs stopgap spending bill averting government shutdown By Zeke Miller, Alan Fram, Associated Press Both parties hope the short-term measure will be the last one needed as negotiators craft compromise bills to finance federal agencies through Sept. 30. Continue reading
Oct 26 Watch 8:11 Why cuts to proposed federal paid leave policy could be a ‘huge loss’ to Americans By Saher Khan As Democrats work to whittle down the price tag of their social spending bill, many key policies that would impact the lives of millions of Americans are on the chopping block. One issue that’s been renegotiated is a national paid… Continue watching
Jun 22 The gas tax’s tortured history shows how hard it is to fund new infrastructure By Theodore J. Kury, The Conversation A bipartisan group of senators proposed the gas tax should be indexed to inflation to help pay for new infrastructure spending, an approach Biden calls 'regressive.'… Continue reading
Jan 02 Watch 7:49 What’s in the $1.4 trillion federal spending bill Before leaving town for the holidays, lawmakers came together to pass a huge federal spending bill that illuminates the government’s policy priorities for 2020. The deal allocates a total of $1.4 trillion to the military, education, a barrier along the… Continue watching
Dec 18 What a partial government shutdown would look like By Saher Khan With less than one week to go, negotiations in Congress remain stuck over funding for a border wall, meaning Americans could kick off the holidays with a partial government shutdown. Continue reading
Mar 19 What you need to know about the massive spending, guns, and health care bill Congress hasn’t seen yet By Lisa Desjardins Congress is facing another deadline this week as lawmakers rush to pass a spending bill to avoid another government shutdown. Continue reading
Dec 06 Watch 7:13 Why the Pentagon ‘buried and killed’ a study on potential cost savings By PBS News Hour Leaders at the Department of Defense periodically conduct efficiency reviews, looking for ways to cut costs. One such report, ordered by Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work in 2014, was scrapped after it identified wasteful spending and suggested measures to… Continue watching