Budget Matters Blog

Category: Social Insurance, Earned Benefits, & Safety Net


If Impoverished Countries Can Host Millions of Refugees, the US Can Welcome a Few Thousand

The factors that drive displacement are often complex, but welcoming refugees isn't.


Bombing Syria vs. Raising Wages: When Do the Rules Apply?

The Biden administration is bending rules to drop bombs but not raise wages. That’s a mistake.


The COVID Deal is a Welcome Stopgap. Congressional Progressives Aim for Much More in 2021.

The Progressive Caucus has unveiled a legislative agenda designed to meet the scale of the pandemic catastrophe and reduce our vulnerability to future crises.


With the Election Over, Congress Must Remember the Rest of the World

Even a lame-duck Congress must remember their actions have global consequences too.


After Boosting Low-Income Voter Turnout, Poor People’s Campaign Mobilizes for Covid Relief

People did not turn out in record numbers in the midst of a pandemic to vote for a return to normal. They want policy change based on a moral agenda.


Even Now, Our Leaders Are Still Putting Their Faith in the Rich

It has become crystal clear during this pandemic that working people fuel this economy, but they’re the ones bearing the cost.


Introducing the Poor People's Moral Budget: Everybody Has the Right to Live

For the 140 million people who are poor, or one emergency away from being poor, we know it's necessary to present a comprehensive response to the systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism, and war economy plaguing our country today. This Poor People’s Moral Budget asks, given the resources of our society, whether these demands are also possible. Our answer is a resounding yes.


Your taxes provided $48 billion to Lockheed Martin. And some other stuff.

April 15, 2019 is Tax Day. Do you know where your tax dollars are? Here's a hint: military contractors cost the average taxpayer more than the price of a new Macbook Pro, but public housing costs the average taxpayer less than a curling iron from Wal-Mart. The average American paid...


House GOP Budget Calls for Drastic Cuts to Domestic Programs

This week the House majority released their budget blueprint for fiscal year 2019, which begins October 1.


Tax Reform This Bad Only Comes Along Once in a Generation

Possibly the single worst thing about it is the cynical way that its supporters want to use it to create an excuse to gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.