CBO’s Reestimate of the President’s Budget
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released its Preliminary Analysis of the President’s 2011 Budget. CBO’s report re-estimates the President’s budget using CBO’s economic and technical assumptions. Over the 2011-2020 period CBO’s deficit estimates are more that $1 trillion higher than those projected by the Administration. In 2015, CBO projects a deficit of nearly $800 billion, or over 4 percent of GDP, well above the President’s 3 percent of GDP target. Debt held by the public is projected to reach $20 trillion by the end of the decade— an increase of over 170 percent from its 2009 level according to CBO. As a result, interest payments on the debt are expected to quadruple between 2010 and 2020. For this year, CBO estimates a lower deficit than the President primarily due to differences in estimated spending. Starting in 2011, CBO’s deficit estimates are higher largely due to lower projected revenues, which reflect less optimistic economic assumptions than used by the Administration.
Further Reading
What Are the Economic Costs of Child Poverty?
Child poverty is higher in the United States than in other wealthy countries. Studies show that it has quantifiable economic costs.
Budget Basics: Unemployment Insurance Explained
The Unemployment Insurance program is a key counter-cyclical tool to help stabilize the economy and speed recovery during downturns or crises.
Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Healthcare in the United States?
The United States has one of the largest and most complex healthcare systems in the world. Take our healthcare quiz to see how much you know about the cost and quality of the U.S. healthcare system.