Topic: U.S. Congressional Budget Office
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'Fiscal cliff' 101: 5 basic questions answered
President Obama and congressional leaders are working to stop the US from going over the “fiscal cliff,” a combination of higher taxes and lower spending set to take effect Jan. 1. Here are five steps to understanding what's going on.
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6 ways to avoid the 'fiscal cliff'
Republican congressional leaders and President Obama sharply disagree over how to deal with the impending “fiscal cliff.” But a successful plan shouldn’t be that hard to put in place. Here are six ways Washington can avoid the “fiscal cliff.”
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Six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong
Mitt Romney’s economic plan is largely based on a whitepaper written by several “heavyweight” economists. The problem is, it's riddled with fundamental flaws. Here are six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong about what ails the American economy and how to fix it.
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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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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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Social Security: Surplus dwindling, huge shortfall looms
Social Security surplus is projected to run out in 2033, forcing a 25 percent cut in benefits. To fix Social Security, Congress would have to find $8.6 trillion.
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Top 3 lessons the US military has learned in Afghanistan
As robust defense budget wranglings continue on Capitol Hill, much of the debate about one of the Pentagon's largest expenses – Afghanistan – centers around just how effective the decade-long fight has been. Here are the top three lessons that US military has learned in Afghanistan.
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House to vote on GOP plan to simplify US tax code, minus the details
A House vote is likely Thursday on a Republican bid to simplify the tax code, including cutting the top rate for individuals and corporations to 25 percent. But the plan is long on principles and short on details, including what tax breaks to eliminate.
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Middle-class tax cut extension passes Senate: Policy or politics?
Senate Democrats squeak through an extension of middle-class tax cuts. Republicans deride it as damaging to the economy. And a January train wreck for spending cuts and tax increases looms even closer.
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Decoder Wire
CBO: Supreme Court ruling means 3 million fewer with health careCongressional Budget Office finds that the Supreme Court's ruling will cut $84 billion from the cost of health-care reform, as states opt out of new law's call to expand coverage for low-income families.
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Tax VOX
How to jump off the fiscal cliff into a tax cutBy jumping off the fiscal cliff, Congress can magically turn a tax increase into a tax cut. All it has to do is let existing tax cuts expire.
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Decoder Wire
Bipartisan powers, activate! Can Congress's debt avengers be superheroes?Once again, Washington's bipartisan, blue-ribbon, out-of-power elite gathers to urge Congress to break the gridlock and do the right thing on the nation's looming financial Armageddon.
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Patty Murray: Democrats will go over 'fiscal cliff' unless GOP relents
No. 4 Senate Democrat says that Republicans must agree to let tax cuts expire for the richest Americans or face a tax hike for all – a move that lifts a page from the GOP playbook.
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Economist Mom
Bush tax cuts: Not a tax increase. A reset.Letting the Bush tax cuts expire wouldn't be a tax hike, as many are describing it. If policymakers want to reinstate the Bush tax cuts after they expire, they should be required to find a way to pay for them.
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Tax VOX
Keeping perspective: Taxes do not always drive the economyThe presidential campaign would like Americans to think the very fate of the country rests on what happens to the Bush tax cuts. But the Congressional Budget Office reminds us there is actually a lot more going on in the economy besides taxes.
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House repeals health-care reform – with no plan to replace it (+video)
House Republicans campaigned to repeal and replace health-care reform, but are now holding off until after November elections before laying out their own alternative plan.
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Health-care reform: How has the individual mandate worked in Massachusetts?
Six years into Massachusetts' version of health-care reform, most residents are complying with the individual mandate. But for some, the cost of a premium is almost prohibitive.
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Supreme Court ruling on Medicaid tees up campaign issue
Some Republican governors and state lawmakers are eager to opt out of the expansion of Medicaid under 'Obamacare,' now that the Supreme Court has removed the penalty. But millions could remain uninsured. Expect this to play big in some state elections.
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Focus
Is Congress to blame for a downshifting US economy?Evidence is mounting that the economy is taking a hit because Congress can't – or won't – deal with the 'fiscal cliff' looming at year's end. The fight on Capitol Hill last summer over the national debt limit also took an economic toll.
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How Obama, Romney are spinning court's health-care ruling
Republicans and Democrats are putting their political spin on the US Supreme Court's historic and startling decision on the Affordable Care Act. As they head toward the presidential election, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have major challenges in interpreting the law.
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Is the Obama health-care law a huge tax increase?
Responding to the Supreme Court's historic ruling on the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are refocusing criticism on the tax fallout from health-care reform. Is it a tax hike? Yes. But on whom?
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Health care: What the Supreme Court's ruling means for US consumers
The US Supreme Court ruling to uphold Obama's health-care reform law affects households across America. Millions without insurance are on track to get it. But costs are an unresolved issue.
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Stock market hiccup: not so much about health-care decision
But some investors still grumbled that the Supreme Court's health-care decision might dampen business confidence and inhibit companies from hiring new workers.
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Health-care law: How Supreme Court ruling could affect US budget
US Supreme Court ruling on the health-care reform law's constitutionality will affect more than the making of public policy. It could also swing the federal budget significantly in either direction.
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Health-care reform law: How Supreme Court ruling affects families
The US Supreme Court ruling upholding President Obama's health-care reform law carries major import for millions of American families. Notably, many who are uninsured will gain access to health coverage.
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Health insurers foresee rising premiums if court nixes 'individual mandate'
A US Supreme Court ruling against the individual mandate in the Obama health-care law would batter the insurance industry. It could also raise the price of insurance for millions of Americans.
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Has Puerto Rico found a solution to the US housing crisis?
A set of incentives for home buyers in Puerto Rico has helped stimulate the housing market there, and some experts think they could help on the mainland, too.
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Fight brewing in Congress over budget, taxes
Last year, Congress put off hard decisions on the country's finances, but they are coming due in an election-year showdown.
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Health-care reform law will survive even if mandate doesn't, experts say
Chaos will not ensue if the US Supreme Court strikes down the individual mandate to buy health insurance, even if other parts of Obama's health-care reform law are upheld, health experts say. But premiums would be likely to rise.
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Tax VOX
Payroll taxes cover about a third of Medicare costsMany Americans may believe that Medicare is financed like Social Security. They know that a portion of payroll taxes goes to Social Security and a portion goes to Medicare, and they conclude workers are paying for Medicare benefits. This is not true.
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