Taxes & Budget
Coverage of the national budget and your taxes.
House spending bill would fund ICE over Democrats’ objections
Congressional leaders struck a deal Tuesday to keep money flowing to ICE, setting up a showdown for rank-and-file Democrats who have demanded deep cuts or even defunding the government’s chief deportation agency.
How lawmakers salvaged the spending process after a record government shutdown
Congress is on track to pass full-year funding for at least 11 of the 12 annual spending bills nearly a third of the way into the fiscal year.
House Republicans ready for battle over cost of living in midterm elections
They’re not calling it “affordability,” but House Republicans admit the 2026 midterms will be a referendum on what their party did or did not do to lower the cost of living.
Democrat-run states want to monitor automobile mileage to reduce car use, raise revenue
States are advancing plans to monitor your mileage and eventually limit how much you drive.
Early birds can begin filing their taxes on Jan. 26 this year
Jan. 26 marks the official start date of the 2026 tax filing season, when the IRS will begin accepting and processing 2025 tax returns. April 15 is the filing deadline.
Trump proposes massive increase in defense spending to $1.5 trillion
President Trump on Wednesday proposed a massive increase in U.S. military spending, calling for $1.5 trillion in fiscal 2027 because the U.S is facing “troubled and dangerous times.”
Criminals exploiting aid agencies in every state, fraud experts warn
The massive fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid program has been replicated across the country, with criminals taking advantage of the lax policing of aid payments for years, according to fraud experts.
Lawmakers reach deal on three-bill spending package, House to vote this week
The House will vote this week on a bipartisan three-bill spending package negotiated by top appropriators in both chambers.
Congress returns with unfinished business amid debate over U.S. intervention in Venezuela
Congress returns to Washington in the first full week of the year with a pile of unfinished business on its plate and decisions to make on U.S. involvement in the regime change President Trump has started in Venezuela.
Trump delays big tariffs on furniture, kitchen and bathroom cabinets for one year
President Trump is delaying higher tariffs on imported upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for one year, citing fruitful negotiations with trading partners.
DOGE at one year: Efficiency department sparks lasting changes in federal spending habits
The Department of Government Efficiency hasn’t come close to achieving the $1 trillion in cuts pledged at its launch last January but it has rooted out billions in wasteful spending, shrunk the bloated federal workforce and spurred a nationwide effort to streamline and economize government agencies.
Trump blames Minnesota fraud allegations on Somali immigrants, rips more scams in California
President Trump on Wednesday blamed Somali immigrants for the alleged fraud at child care centers across Minnesota.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accuses Trump of politicizing state’s fraud allegations
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is accusing President Trump of using fraud allegations to withhold funds from low-income state residents, after the White House froze all federal child care payments to Mr. Walz’s state.
Trump’s Education Dept. to garnish wages of delinquent student borrowers in January
The Trump administration says it will kick off the new year by garnishing the wages of people who are delinquent on student loan repayment, reversing Biden-era leniency.
Taxpayer group tells Supreme Court that excessive fines to settle debt are unconstitutional
The National Taxpayers Union Foundation has filed a friend-of-the-court brief at the Supreme Court defending citizens’ rights not to suffer excessive tax fines.
U.S. to commit $2 billion to U.N. humanitarian efforts, as foreign aid cuts continue
The U.S. will contribute $2 billion to U.N. humanitarian aid in 2026, the State Department said Monday.
Stalled spending bills put Congress in catch-up mode when lawmakers return in January
Congress has not passed any spending bills since the 43-day government shutdown ended, and lawmakers won’t have much time left to act when they return to session in January.
Not just dollars: Supreme Court tariff case could threaten Trump’s favorite diplomatic tool
A Supreme Court ruling canceling President Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on other nations unilaterally would open the floodgates to refunds and economic upheaval.
