Government Spending

Squeezing the Speaker

Why a small minority has such power over Kevin McCarthy.

Kevin McCarthy’s Historically Bad Week

Plus: Washington welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sort of.

House Republicans Saddle Up for More Chaos

Even their own colleagues aren’t sure of what the GOP holdouts want from the spending impasse.

Will Kevin McCarthy Fight Back?

It’s unclear whether the speaker has the votes to push a stopgap spending measure, but the endgame for House hardliners is even foggier.

Strolling Toward a Shutdown

Plus: So much for the hopes for a room-temperature superconductor.

What’s At Stake in the Farm Bill?

A bastion of bipartisanship or big government run amok?

Approaching the Appropriations Fight

The tight deadline to pass a series of spending bills will again test Kevin McCarthy’s leadership.

Interest Payments Are a Ticking Time Bomb

Massive federal borrowing means gambling America’s economic future on interest rates never rising.

Powerball Politics

Too many in Washington want to ignore the price of risk or wrangle with costs and trade-offs.

Loaded With Gimmicks, but Still Worth It

The debt-limit deal is disappointing, but Congress cannot risk economic calamity.

Death of a Talking Point

Returning to the tax policies of the 1950s would make our deficits worse.

Fact Checking a Graphic Comparing Bank Bailouts to Proposed Federal Spending Programs

The chart assumes that taxpayers will bear the entire cost of covering deposits for SVB and Signature Bank customers.

There Is No Painless Way to Balance the Budget

‘Taxing the rich’ and cutting ‘woke’ programs won’t come close to getting the job done.

How Republicans Can Get Serious on Spending

When it comes to cuts, less is actually more.

Congress to Send Spending Bill to Biden’s Desk

A look at what made the cut.

Omnibus Wrangling in Full Swing

Lawmakers consider a sweeping year-end funding package.