CBO Blog

CBO is saddened by the unexpected death of Senator Lindsey Graham. We had the privilege of working closely with Senator Graham during his service as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and when he was the committee's Ranking Member.

In this report, the latest in a quarterly series, CBO highlights its recent publications and summarizes its work in progress.

The federal budget deficit totaled $1.4 trillion in the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, CBO estimates. That amount is $35 billion more than the deficit recorded during the same period last fiscal year.

CBO describes current methods to detect and counter small unmanned aircraft systems and estimates it would cost about $74 million to outfit a typical military installation with a layered defense and at least $5 million a year to support it.

CBO estimates how the proposals in the President's budget request for 2027 would affect mandatory and discretionary spending over the 2027–2036 period.

CBO's Director, Phillip Swagel, highlights his speaking engagements from the first half of 2026.

CBO examines the terms and conditions of the Treasury's assistance provided to airlines and national security businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic and budgetary effects.

The No Surprises Act protects patients from unexpected charges from out-of-network health care providers. CBO is seeking research that evaluates the law's effects on health care prices and network participation.

Analysts in CBO's Health Analysis Division are participating in sessions at the 15th Annual Conference of the American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon) in Minneapolis.

The federal budget deficit totaled $1.2 trillion in the first eight months of fiscal year 2026, CBO estimates. That amount is $116 billion less than the deficit recorded during the same period last fiscal year.