Understanding federal programs and fiscal policy is key to making sense of our nation’s budget challenges. Below you will find a series of explainers on topics like the national debt, budget ...

2025-08-21-What is Budget Reconciliation?Whenever a reconciliation bill is moving through the Senate, any senator can raise a challenge — known as a point of order — if they believe part of the bill ...

2025-08-21-What is Medicare?What is Medicare? Medicare is the federal health insurance program that helps people age 65 and older, as well as some younger people with certain disabilities, pay for ...

2025-08-21-What is Social Security?OASI is funded primarily through payroll taxes. Workers and employers each contribute 6.2 percent of wages, up to an annual limit ($176,100 in 2025). Self-employed ...

What Is the National Debt? The national debt is the total amount of money that a country's government owes to creditors. It accumulates over time because governments often spend more money than they ...

Importantly, the CRFB Adjusted August 2025 Baseline does not incorporate the dynamic effects from OBBBA nor other changes to ...

Social Security turns 90 today – but its retirement program is on course to be insolvent by age 97 – according to new ...

There are also a variety of health-related policy options available to offset any extension, including many outlined in our ...

With Social Security’s 90 th birthday approaching, The New York Times (NYT) published an article this week alleging “ 6 myths ...