Follow Newser on Twitter   Friend Newser on Facebook
Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

NEWS ABOUT: government spending

House Passes $1.1T Spending Bill

Stripped-down bill freezes spending

(Newser) - The House has staved off a government shutdown by passing a $1.1 trillion bill funding government operations through October 2011. The measure, which covers everything from the military to national parks, is essentially last year's budget extended with a few tweaks, Reuters reports. Earmarks were prohibited and $46 billion... More »

Romney: Obama Must Kill Big Gov't

Ex-governor tells Obama to seize his 'Nixon to China' moment

(Newser) - In the wake of the election, Mitt Romney thinks Barack Obama should “seize his ‘Nixon to China’ opportunity.” And by China, he means the US government. “Government is a greater threat to America in 2010 than China was in 1972,” Romney writes in an op-ed... More »

Deficit Breaks $1T Again

Budget gap shrinks, but is set to grow

(Newser) - The federal budget deficit is set to break a trillion dollars for the second year in a row, the Obama administration is set to report today. Officials foresee a deficit of $1.29 trillion for the 2010 budget year that ended Sept. 30, the AP reports, down from last year’... More »

Who Is Getting Gulf Cleanup Contracts?

Review finds some oddball examples of big spending by feds

(Newser) - It might have been cheaper if the feds had plugged BP's blown wellhead with dollar bills—or so an early AP analysis of Uncle Sam's expenditures on the response and cleanup. Mind you, these details are for the first $142 million the government is disclosing, a small fraction; BP , however,... More »

Social Security Is Just Fine

There's no crisis, conservatives just hate the program

(Newser) - Social Security turned 75 last week, but nobody felt much like celebrating, because the program is under an “unnecessary, unfair and—let’s not mince words—cruel attack,” writes Paul Krugman of the New York Times . Some Democrats and most Republicans claim social security is in crisis, and... More »

Tea Partiers Decry Socialism But Want Gov't Jobs

Turns out not all 'socialist' programs are bad

(Newser) - Upwards of 90% of tea partiers are convinced that the US is creeping away from capitalism towards socialism, but they aren’t as stridently opposed to that as you might think. Sure, roughly the same number think the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new Bloomberg... More »

Deficit's Not a Dirty Word

'There's smart debt and stupid debt'

(Newser) - The debate over the deficit is being crippled by a failure to face up to what we need the government to do, writes EJ Dionne Jr. To have a rational debate about the budget, lawmakers should admit that running a deficit during a time of high unemployment is a good... More »

Brown Ripped for Vote on Jobs Bill

Senator mounts defense as Facebook friends mutiny

(Newser) - Scott Brown is getting flack from all sides for his decision to cross the aisle and vote to end debate on the Senate's $15 billion jobs legislation. The Drudge Report splashed the story on its homepage and tinted a photo of the Massachusetts senator an incriminating red. Far more vociferous... More »

'Stupid' Leadership Has Sapped America's Hope

Business is losing faith as government spends like spoiled kids

(Newser) - The economy's growing again but the people Peggy Noonan talks to—"the American leadership class who are not in Washington, most especially those in business"—have lost their confidence that a turnaround is coming. That's because they don't think the government has any solutions to America's problems other... More »

If Congress Can't Pass Health Reform, Yank Their Coverage

Pols should be punished for 'longstanding and grievous breach of responsibility: Kristof

(Newser) - Nicholas Kristof has a modest proposal for lawmakers who vote down health care reform. If universal coverage is defeated, he writes, let’s take away the insurance of 15% of Congress, at random, and cut benefits to an inadequate level for another 8%. “I wouldn’t wish the trauma... More »

Rove: Health Care Bill Is Gift to GOP

Backlash against spending will be 'boon' to party in 2010

(Newser) - The GOP is winning the debate on health care and it'll win control of Congress as well if the Democrats manage to pass a health care bill, writes Karl Rove. Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus wants to "front-load" the bill with hefty tax hikes that will kick in... More »

Congress Votes to Boost Own Budget

Capitol Hill scoffs at belt-tightening, jacks funding 5.8%

(Newser) - With local governments around the country tightening their belts, Congress is loosening theirs. The House last week approved a 5.8% bump in the legislative budget, and the Senate is poised to do so as well. That’ll bring Capitol Hill’s annual budget to $4.7 billion, Politico reports.... More »

Thousands of DC Protesters Blast Obama Policies

Demonstration stretches for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue

(AP) - Tens of thousands of people marched to the US Capitol today, carrying signs with slogans such as "Obamacare makes me sick" as they protested the president's health care plan and what they say is out-of-control spending. The line of protesters spread across Pennsylvania Avenue for blocks, all the way... More »

Furloughs Freeze State Services

Strapped states try to balance budgets by shutting down

(Newser) - States across the country are slashing their labor costs by putting workers on furloughs and cutting services, the Wall Street Journal reports. California, Maine, Maryland and Michigan close state agencies on Fridays. Others are opting to remain open every weekday, but stretch services by placing thousands of workers on rolling... More »

Help Wanted: Fed Govt. Needs 600K New Workers

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,... More »

Big Government Prevented Great Depression II

...And Republicans kept demanding that it step aside and allow it

(Newser) - The economy isn’t in great shape, but we’re going to avoid Great Depression II, writes Paul Krugman in the New York Times. “What saved us? The answer, basically, is big government.” Unlike the private sector, the government didn’t decrease spending as its income decreased, which... More »

DC Deficit Fixer: Print on Both Sides of Paper

$102M in painfully obvious cuts shows how outdated gov't is

(Newser) - A short while ago, President Obama called on his Cabinet to make budget cuts in their departments totaling $100 million. They came up with $102 million, but some of the cuts were so obvious one wonders why it took a presidential edict to elicit them, the Wall Street Journal notes.... More »

It's Too Soon for Feds to Ease Up on Economy

If Washington cuts off the cash, recession will worsen: Krugman

(Newser) - With critics prematurely calling on Washington to scale back financial rescue efforts, economic history fans see “déjà vu all over again,” writes Paul Krugman in the New York Times. This is the third time a major economy has been stuck in a liquidity trap, and both previous... More »

Don't Let 'Waste' Taunts Prompt More Waste

Obama shouldn't scrap chopper deal just to appease McCain

(Newser) - Fearful of appearing wasteful, the Defense Department wants to dump a contract for new presidential helicopters and start fresh—but that means losing $4 billion already spent on the project. It’s the same old story when it comes to “wasteful procurement,” writes Gail Collins in the New ... More »

Iowans (Mostly) Still Smile on Obama

Residents support president's efforts, fear over-spending and Afghanistan

(Newser) - Iowa, arguably the state that launched Barack Obama on his path to the presidency, will always be a "special place" for him, says press chief Robert Gibbs. And the feeling is—mostly—mutual, Politico reports. Obama enjoys a 64% statewide approval rating, and Iowans are reviving their Obama for... More »

Stories 41 - 60 | << Prev   Next >>
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   Geek Sugar   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment