US Policy Pulse

Treasury expanded the Do Not Pay system from 4% to 99% of federal programs, screening $3.7 trillion in payments and blocking $175 million to deceased...

This week's $119 billion Treasury auctions highlight rising federal borrowing costs, with thirty-year bonds most vulnerable to weak demand due to high...

September's federal rulemaking data shows a clear slowdown in binding activity.

• Final rules fell 23% from August to 216, while proposed rules held...

Elevated global bond yields are raising borrowing costs for US consumers and businesses while increasing federal interest expenses.

• Consumers face...

• Who qualifies: Taxpayers in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza unable to meet obligations due to terroristic action
• Deadlines covered: Federal...

CBO is analyzing whether flood adaptation spending today can lower the federal government's future disaster relief costs and what budget tradeoffs that creates.

A presidential order signed October 5 directs Treasury to defer the federal excise tax on dyed diesel used on highways from October 5 through December...

The Golden Dome missile-defense program starts FY2027 with just $400 million in the base budget, leaving roughly $17 billion dependent on a stalled...

RAND experts identify three reforms that benefit beneficiaries without harming government or plans.

• Standardize supplemental benefits to cut...

Rising Treasury yields above 5.34% on the 10-year and near 5.7% on the 30-year point to heavy government borrowing needs and eroding investor...

The 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan, released September 29, aligns with the federal fiscal year and lists five tax-exempt projects—including final...

Electronic prior authorization and Medicaid work requirements hit January 1, 2027, forcing practices to confront untested systems and heavier...

Trump pledged a one-time $90 rebate to 20.8 million Medicare Part B beneficiaries, drawn from the Medicare Improvement Fund and distributed via direct...

Proposals from both sides converge on higher earners contributing more to close the shortfall projected by 2032.

• Warren-Moreno plan: Eliminate the...

• States deploy extra tools like enhanced EVV, claims analysis, and AI to fight fraud in home care beyond federal rules, but nearly 650,000 people sit...

Restoring Social Security solvency could raise 2060 GDP by 0.4% to 12.1% while cutting the debt-to-GDP ratio by 14% to 27%.

• All seven PWBM packages...

74.9 million people receive Social Security or SSI benefits, per the newly released Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2026. The official...

House Democrats unveiled an 84-page health care plan that could reshape Medicare Advantage while adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits. The move targets supplemental benefits that have defined private plans.

Federal budget debates are not truly about line items or deficits but competing worldviews on whether spending should stay locked to historical...

• Acting SSA commissioner resigned after refusing to hand over records holding SSNs, bank, tax and medical data for nearly all Americans.
• Chief data...