CBO Blog


Potential Effects of a Ban on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of New Prescription Drugs May 26, 2011
CBO's Estimates of ARRA's Impact on Employment and Economic Output for the First Quarter of 2011 May 25, 2011 As required by law, CBO prepares regular reports on its estimate of the number of jobs created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which is often referred to as the economic stimulus package. In its latest report, issued today, CBO provides estimates of ARRA’s overall impact on employment and economic output in the first quarter of calendar year 2011, which differ only slightly from those presented in its previous report (issued in February 2011).
Options for Changing the Tax Treatment of Charitable Giving May 24, 2011
Accounting for FHA's Single-Family Mortgage Insurance Program on a Fair-Value Basis May 18, 2011 Over the past two years, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has guaranteed more than 17 percent of new and refinanced mortgages on single-family homes in the United States. The estimated lifetime costs of FHAs single-family mortgage insurance program are recorded in the federal budget using a methodology spelled out in the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (FCRA). Using the FCRA methodology, CBO estimates that the program will produce budgetary savings of $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2012.
CBO Testified on the Federal Role in Paying for Highways May 17, 2011 This morning Joseph Kile, CBOs Assistant Director for Microeconomic Studies, testified before the Senate Finance Committee to discuss the federal role in paying for highways. The testimony draws on several recent CBO publications on highways and other infrastructure. Status of the Highway Trust Fund
Extrapolation Through 2021 of Full-Year Appropriations for 2011 May 16, 2011
The Cost-Effectiveness of Nuclear Power for Navy Surface Ships May 12, 2011
Federal Budget Deficit Totals $871 Billion in the First Seven Months of 2011 May 6, 2011 The federal government incurred a budget deficit of $871 billion in the first seven months of fiscal year 2011, CBO estimates in its latest Monthly Budget Review, roughly $70 billion more than the deficit incurred in the same period in 2010. That deficit would have been higher if not for the larger-than-expected payments with individual income tax returns filed near the end of the spring tax-filing season.
The Underfunding of State and Local Pension Plans May 4, 2011 The recent financial crisis and economic recession have left many states and localities with extraordinary budgetary difficulties for the next few years, but structural shortfalls in their pension plans pose a problem that is likely to endure for much longer.The recent financial crisis and economic recession have left many states and localities with extraordinary budgetary difficulties for the next few years, but structural shortfalls in their pension plans pose a problem that is likely to endure for much longer.