2012 Elections
  • Obama’s Bargain: Lower Rates for Higher Spending

    President Obama intends to make one last pitch for a “grand bargain” of new spending and tax policy on Tuesday that will attempt to marry corporate tax reform with funding for jobs to benefit the...

  • Ominous Signs for the GOP in 2014

    By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

    The conventional wisdom is that Republicans are in good shape going into next year’s congressional elections. Gerrymandering and the enormous benefits of incumbency virtually guarantee them continued...

  • Trading Tax Write-Offs for Real Growth

    By Andrew Fieldhouse, The Fiscal Times

    Overhauling the tax code is a wonky fixation of the D.C. policymaking elite, for good reason — it’s an area loaded with policy nuance, lobbying intrigue and major ramifications for long-term fiscal...

  • IRS Scandal: How the Brouhaha Went Bust

    By Peter Weber, TheWeek.com

    Rep. Darrell Issa is still banging the scandal drum. Is anyone listening anymore?

  • Beer, Burgers, and a Two-Man Blitz on Tax Reform

    By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

    Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) are keeping hope alive that the tax code can be rewritten. Both peg the odds of successful reform at more than 50 percent, according to a joint lunch...

  • Obama to Focus on Jobs in State of the Union

    By Scott Wilson, The Washington Post

    President Obama will concentrate his State of the Union speech Tuesday on the economy, shifting the emphasis away from the broad social agenda of his second inaugural address to refocus attention on...

  • U.S.-Europe Trade Deal "Within Reach"

    By ANDREAS RINKE and Robin Emmott, Reuters

    A U.S.-EU draft proposal drawn up by EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk is essentially ready. De Gucht, who went to Washington this week, has given strong...

  • Corporate Tax Reform Could Take Bite Out of Businesses

    By Suzanne McGee, The Fiscal Times

    In the run-up to the “fiscal cliff” deadline of December 31, the debate over how best to restore some balance to the nation’s books revolved around personal income tax rates, and in particular,...

  • How the Sequester Will Affect Consumers and Business

    As President Obama and Republican congressional leaders clash this week over whether to allow an $85 billion of across the board cuts in defense and domestic spending to take hold beginning March 1,...

  • Offshore Tax Loopholes Cost States $40 Billion

    By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

    States lost out on nearly $40 billion in tax revenue in 2011 from wealthy taxpayers and major U.S. corporations utilizing offshore tax loopholes