Topic: Medicaid
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If not 'sequester,' then what? Five ideas from left and right.
Few in Washington believe that "the sequester,” $85 billion in automatic spending cuts set to hit the federal budget as of March 1, is a good idea. But what's the alternative? Here are five proposals, from the right, the center, and the left, to replace the sequester. Which do you like?
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Sequester 101: What happens if $85 billion in cuts hit on March 1
The sequester is a complex concept with a tortuous history. Here are the basics on the automatic spending reductions set to kick in March 1.
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Senate freshmen: What the 14 new members bring to Capitol Hill
A freshman Senate class was sworn in Jan. 3, bringing diverse skills and experience – not to mention agendas – to the legislative body. Whether the 14 newest senators help break partisan gridlock, or refuse to work across the aisle, will be the test for the 113th Congress.Twelve were elected on Nov. 6, including three Republicans, eight Democrats, and an independent. In addition, a Republican and a Democrat were appointed to vacant seats after the election. Here is a look at the 14 and what they bring to the Senate:
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How much do you know about US entitlement programs? Take our quiz.
The push to reform entitlement programs is at the heart of debates about the future of the US budget. They include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare).
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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
All Content
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Mitt Romney pitches smaller government: Is his target realistic?
While President Obama sees sizable government as fostering economic growth, Mitt Romney wants to cap federal spending at 20 percent of GDP. Is that goal feasible – and economically helpful?
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Tax VOX What happens if Congress goes over the fiscal cliff? Taxes rise.
Americans could face an average tax hike of almost $3,500 in 2013 if Congress goes over the fiscal cliff, Gleckman writes. The looming fiscal cliff poses a major threat for the US economy.
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Where did the mammoth US budget deficits come from?
Let's go back about a decade, when budget surpluses were predicted for the foreseeable future. Somehow, the math went terribly wrong, by trillions of dollars. Here's an accounting of what happened.
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Robert Reich Mitt Romney: a compassionate conservative?
Can Mitt Romney recast himself as a compassionate conservative in an effort to boost sagging poll numbers? Reich argues it's too late.
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Robert Reich Mitt Romney: A warrior for the wealthy?
MItt Romney represents an unprecedented concentration of wealth and power that’s undermining our economy and destroying our democracy, Reich writes.
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Decoder Wire Romney, Obama, and 'redistribution': How much do US taxes reallocate wealth? (+video)
The federal tax system is 'progressive' – meaning wealthier people pay taxes at a higher rate than others. It is, in effect, a wealth redistribution mechanism. But it's not new to Obama, or even more pronounced under him.
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How many will pay health-care tax penalty? CBO estimate rises 50 percent.
Citing a gloomier economic outlook, and to a lesser extent the Supreme Court ruling on Medicaid expansion, the CBO now estimates 6 million people will pay the health-care tax penalty by 2016.
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Decoder Wire Mitt Romney fact check: Is he actually against redistribution? (+video)
Mitt Romney is treating 'redistribution' like a dirty word. But while he might like it less than Democrats do, Romney clearly believes in redistribution, too.
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Mitt Romney video fact check: Is 47 percent of US 'dependent' on government?
In a secret video of a May fundraiser, Mitt Romney says 47 percent of Americans 'are dependent upon government.' One analysis suggests he might have gotten his numbers crossed.
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Robert Reich Grim prospects for Romney and Ryan
The Romney-Ryan ticket continues to lag behind in polls despite bad economic news because Republicans appeal to only one slice of America, Reich writes.
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Automatic budget cuts would be 'deeply destructive'
Automatic budget cuts would hit Pentagon with 9 percent reduction, hurting military readiness, and 8 percent cuts in nondefense programs from the FBI to the Border Patrol to air controllers, a new White House report says.
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Health-care insurance: Coverage expands as law kicks in
Health-care insurance covered an extra 1.3 million Americans last year, according to new census data. US posts first improvement in health-care insurance since 2007.
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US incomes fall to 1989 levels. How did that happen?
A Census report signals that for much of America, the economic downturn has produced not one lost decade but two. But the data also show that federal safety-net programs helped keep people out of poverty.
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Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 5 ways they differ on debt and deficits
President Obama and Mitt Romney offer sharply different views on how to get the nation back on a sustainable fiscal path. Here are five ways they differ on policies to cope with a soaring debt.
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Robert Reich The 'heart of our economic dilemma': getting American consumers to spend again
The middle class isn't spending because the values of their homes have plummeted, they've lost much of their savings, and their wages are dropping. Reich argues that Obama has a way to correct this, or at least not make it worse.
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Health-care system wastes $750 billion a year
Health-care system squanders roughly 30 cents of every medical dollar through unneeded care, byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste, a new study shows. Deep cuts to the US heath-care system may produce a more efficient, better-quality product.
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Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 6 ways they differ on health-care reform
Former Gov. Mitt Romney has taken a libertarian turn since championing health-care reforms in Massachusetts, including an individual mandate to purchase insurance, which became the model for President Obama's signature law. Here’s a list of areas where the candidates differ.
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Paul Ryan's factual shortcuts in convention speech
A look at claims made in political campaigns and how they adhere to the facts.
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The Paul Ryan budget: 5 go-to sources for understanding it
Looking for in-depth analysis of the Paul Ryan budget plan? D.C. Decoder has compiled a list of excellent sources to help you sort out truth from fiction.
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Tax VOX Fiscal cliff vs. tax-cut extension is gloom or doom. Is there another way?
CBO's 'gloom' scenario means pushing the economy off the 'fiscal cliff' into recession. But deficits would plunge. 'Doom' means no recession but dangerous levels of debt.
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Robert Reich Ryan budget is reforming entitlement? No. Destroying it.
Entitlement reform? Forget it. In an era of rampant economic insecurity, Ryan’s destruction of Medicaid, food stamps, social security, and other safety nets would cause American families even greater hardship.
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Which side is winning the battle to define Paul Ryan?
So far, polls show little to no bounce for Mitt Romney since he named Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. The wisdom of adding Ryan to the ticket could be decided by how well he and Romney resolve their unsettled message on Medicare.
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The other Paul Ryan plan: $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid
Under the Wisconsin congressman's Medicaid plan, states would take over the program. At the same time,Ryan's budget would reduce projected federal spending on Medicaid by about $800 billion over 10 years.
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Tax VOX Resurrecting the Ryan budget
While the Romney camp is sure to argue their candidate's fiscal policy is of his own making, his new running mate Paul Ryan’s more comprehensive and controversial plans will likely be a major campaign issue.
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Decoder Wire New Romney/Ryan ad plays offense on Medicare. Will that work?
Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate means the team has to play defense on Ryan's past Medicare reform proposals. It's doing that by trying to get in the front foot.
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