From the Congressional Budget Office (CBO):
June 4, 2024
CBO’s Director, Phillip Swagel, testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Social Security about the significant financial challenge the program faces in the coming decades
This posting includes an excerpt from the Report on the Investigation Into Unauthorized Removal, Retention, and Disclosure of Classified Documents Discovered at Locations Including the Penn Biden Center and the Delaware Private Residence of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. prepared for the Attorney General of the United States by Special Counsel Robert K. Hur and his staff, and a link to the entire document.
EXCERPT:
“We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter. 1 We would reach the same conclusion even if Department of Justice policy did not foreclose criminal charges against a sitting president.
A May 13, 2024 presentation at the American Enterprise Institute by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
In its work for the Congress, CBO regularly projects budgetary and economic outcomes over the 10-year budget window (the period used in the Congressional budget process) and for an additional 20 years. This presentation highlights key findings from two recent reports on those projections.
Click here to see presentation document.
On April 10, 2024, CBO’s Director, Phillip Swagel, testified before the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch regarding the Congressional Budget Office’s request for appropriations for fiscal year 2025. This posting includes a summary of the Director’s testimony followed by a link to his complete testimony and links to supporting documents.
CBO SUMMARY:
Chairman Amodei, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the Congressional Budget Office’s budget request. CBO requests appropriations of $73.5 million for fiscal year 2025: About 89 percent would be for pay and benefits; 7 percent would be for information technology (IT); and 4 percent would be for training, expert consultant services, office supplies, and other items. The request amounts to an increase of $3.5 million, or 5 percent, from the $70 million that CBO received for 2024. That increase would address increased costs brought about by inflation, sustain investments in IT infrastructure, and enable CBO to expand its staff in key areas.
This posting includes the Summary and a link to the full text of CBO’s Director, Phillip Swagel’s testimony before the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch. A supporting mission statement is included.
SUMMARY:
Chairman Amodei, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the Congressional Budget Office’s budget request. CBO requests appropriations of $73.5 million for fiscal year 2025: About 89 percent would be for pay and benefits; 7 percent would be for information technology (IT); and 4 percent would be for training, expert consultant services, office supplies, and other items. The request amounts to an increase of $3.5 million, or 5 percent, from the $70 million that CBO received for 2024. That increase would address increased costs brought about by inflation, sustain investments in IT infrastructure, and enable CBO to expand its staff in key areas.
H.R.7156, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on February 29, 2024.
CBO Summary:
H.R. 7156 would expand the authority of the Secret Service to investigate financial crimes. Specifically, the bill would authorize the Secret Service to investigate the operations of unlicensed money transmitting businesses—entities that provide money transfer services or payment instruments—and the structuring of financial transactions to evade reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
A presentation by Chapin White, CBO’s Director of Health Analysis, at the David Rogers Health Policy Colloquium, Weill Cornell Medicine.
SUMMARY:
This presentation provides a brief look at Congressional Budget Office’s work related to federal spending on health care and the recent slowdown in the growth of such spending. It also discusses the types of new research that could be useful in explaining that slowdown and in answering other health-related questions for the Congress. It contains important information for all who are interested in monitoring research related to this subject.
The death penalty remains a highly contested issue in the United States, with arguments raging on both sides. However, beyond the ethical and legal debates lies a lesser-known aspect: the phenomenon of failed executions. These attempts, often characterized by prolonged suffering and technical difficulties, raise serious concerns about the very concept of a humane and constitutional capital punishment system.
Historically, the U.S. has employed various methods for execution, each with its own share of botched attempts. The electric chair, implemented in the late 19th century, witnessed numerous cases where the condemned endured extended periods of agony due to malfunctions or improper application. Lethal injection, the current primary method, has also been plagued by issues. From 2000 to 2020, an estimated 7% of all lethal injection executions were classified as botched, often involving prolonged struggles to establish an intravenous line, raising concerns about unnecessary suffering inflicted upon the condemned. It is estimated that 3% of U.S. executions in the period from 1890 to 2010 were botched.
The case of Thomas Eugene Creech in Idaho in 2023 exemplifies the harrowing realities of failed executions. Despite repeated attempts by medical personnel, a suitable vein could not be located for lethal injection, forcing the execution to be halted. This incident, like many others, highlights the inherent fallibility of the execution process where unforeseen complications can transform the intended punishment into an act of torture. In his article in Verdict discussing this case, Austin Sarat, a professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College, argues that “systemic issues and denial by state officials perpetuate the cruelty and inefficiency of lethal injections, urging an acknowledgment of its failures and a cessation of its use for capital punishment”.
INTRODUCTION:
Medicare, the federal health insurance program in the United States, serves millions of Americans, providing essential healthcare coverage for seniors and certain individuals with disabilities. However, with its vast reach and substantial funding, Medicare is also a target for fraud and deception. Fraudulent activities not only drain taxpayer dollars but also jeopardize the integrity of the healthcare system and endanger patient well-being. To combat these threats, Medicare employs various strategies and initiatives aimed at detecting, preventing, and prosecuting instances of fraud and deception. Yet, some people would argue the since Medicare loses billions of dollars every year to fraud, waste, and abuse, they could do a better job at preventing fraud.
DETECTION MECHANISMS:
Projections of the Congressional Budget Office,
“The Congressional Budget Office regularly publishes reports presenting its baseline projections of what the federal budget and the economy would look like in the current year and over the next 10 years if laws governing taxes and spending generally remained unchanged. This report is the latest in that series.”
“In CBO’s projections, federal budget deficits total $20 trillion over the 2025–2034 period and federal debt held by the public reaches 116 percent of GDP. Economic growth slows to 1.5 percent in 2024 and then continues at a moderate pace.”
Criminal Law Library Blog