DC Deficit Fixer: Print on Both Sides of Paper

270K new hires deemed critical to make up for retirement

(NEWSER) - The federal government must hire 600,000 people over the next 4 years to balance a wave of retirement and keep pace with President Obama’s ambitions, the Washington Post reports. Nearly half of those positions are considered absolutely essential for agencies to provide their services, a new report states, chiefly in the medical, security, law enforcement, legal, and administrative areas. More»

(AP) - President Obama appealed to federal workers today to propose ways to make their agencies' and departments' budgets more efficient. The president said employees' ideas would be key as his Cabinet officials cut millions from the federal budget and trim the deficit. "After all, Americans across the country know that the best ideas often come from workers, not just management," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. More»

Federal spending is rising at slowest rate since '50s, report finds

(NEWSER) - Republicans are trying to fool the country into believing that they are the party of fiscal responsibility, President Obama told a fundraiser yesterday. "I’m running to pay down our debt in a way that’s balanced and responsible. After inheriting a $1 trillion deficit, I signed $2 trillion of spending cuts into law,” he told donors in Denver. "My opponent won’t admit it, but it’s starting to appear in places, like real liberal outlets, like the Wall Street Journal," he quipped. "Since I’ve been president, federal spending has risen at the lowest pace in nearly 60 years. Think about that.” More»

Tasks federal agencies with trimming the fat in four other areas, too

(NEWSER) - If you happen to be sipping from a promotional coffee cup bestowed on you by a federal agency, hang on to it: You might not be getting a new one anytime soon. As part of his "We Can't Wait" campaign, President Obama will today announce his latest effort: slashing waste. The president will sign an executive order tasking federal agencies with reducing spending by 20% in five areas that have been identified by a Joe Biden-helmed task force as particularly fatty: travel, technology, printing, autos, and swag. USA Today and Politico dig into the nitty gritty: More»

Even though 'there is no deal' yet

(NEWSER) - The House must move to raise the debt ceiling by Wednesday, John Boehner told a closed House GOP meeting. First, of course, a deal must be struck, and as yet, “there is no deal. There is no agreement in private,” Boehner told the press, and leaders aren’t “close” to one. The House, however, has “done its job” in seeking agreement, he said, and the Senate needs to do its part, the AP notes. Meanwhile, progress reports continue to conflict sharply. More»