What's happening in Congress right now could alter this nation for years to come. NPP's new, easy-to-use fact sheets will help you understand contentious issues like taxes and Obamacare so you can decide for yourself and make your voice heard while lawmakers are close do home during the August recess.

This week's summer intern profile is Hannah Carrillo, who is working with NPP on our strategic planning project.

The stellar efforts of talented student interns throughout the year allows NPP to expand and deepen what we do across all aspects of our work. This week, we're highlighting Molly Grover, who is working with us as a Research Assistant on our Faces of the Federal Budget project.

This Fourth of July, we're feeling especially patriotic about a vision for a federal budget by and for the people.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be highlighting NPP's amazing summer interns. The stellar efforts of talented student interns throughout the year allows NPP to expand and deepen what we do across all aspects of our work. Welcome to the first of our Summer Intern Profiles.

They don't agree on much, but in at least one way the House and Senate are on the same page: They both want to increase military funding next year.

The 2011 Budget Control Act set the stage for the harsh automatic budget cuts known as sequestration to take place on January 1, 2013. These cuts will go on for a decade unless Congress agrees to stop them. Some initiatives, like the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, have been cut by more than 20 percent.

Nearly every American is intimately connected with the earned benefits Social Security and Medicare – first as a contributor then as a recipient. Nearly 90% of us indicated that we’re in favor of taking strong measures to preserve the long-term stability of both programs.

NPP successfully met our May Gift Challenge, thanks to the generosity of our online community!

Guest blogger Anthony Holley reports on the Hack for Western Mass project to reconcile federal spending data in USASpending.gov with numbers reported in the federal budget.