A department-by-department guide to cutting the government's budget.
The Department of Education provides loans and grants to college students and subsidizes elementary and secondary schools.
The department will spend $98 billion in 2012, or about $830 for every U.S. household. It employs 4,300 workers and operates 153 subsidy programs.
The Department of the Interior oversees more than 500 million acres of land, distributes subsidized irrigation water, and administers aid programs for American Indians.
The department will spend $19 billion in 2012, or about $180 for every U.S. household. It employs 70,000 workers.
The Department of Agriculture administers large farm subsidy programs and runs the food stamp and school lunch programs.
The department will spend about $151 billion in 2012, or about $1,200 for every U.S. household. It employs 93,000 workers and operates more than 240 subsidy programs.
Freshman Republicans Switch from Tea to Kool-Aid
This week the Club for Growth released a study of votes cast in 2011 by the 87 Republicans elected to the House in November 2010. The Club found that “In many cases, the rhetoric of the so-called “Tea Party” freshmen simply didn’t match their records.” Particularly disconcerting is the fact that so many GOP newcomers cast votes against spending cuts. Read more
When Bipartisanship is a Dirty Word
In a blog post I wrote about two years ago, I said “Usually when I hear that a policy proposal has bipartisan support, I instinctively check for my wallet.” At that time I was lauding a bipartisan proposal to shut the USDA’s market access program (although it seems that idea didn’t get much traction) under the heading “When Bipartisanship Is Good News.” Read more
The States are Already Getting Bailed Out
In today’s Wall Street Journal, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) advise the states to get their fiscal houses in order instead of holding out hope for a bailout from federal taxpayers. That’s sound advice. However, the states already effectively get bailed out by federal taxpayers each and every year. Read more
