Determining What Works, Line by Line

We in the Administration have spoken often about the President’s Budget heralding a new era of responsibility—an era in which we not only do what we must to lift our economy out of recession, but in which we also lay a new foundation for long-term growth and prosperity.

This Week in Budget News

This week is another busy one at OMB: we are releasing the full account-level budget on Thursday.

Congratulations to Xav Briggs

Champagne corks are flying (or more accurately, Diet Coke cans are being opened) here at OMB to congratulate Xavier de Souza Briggs for being awarded tenure by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today.

Congratulations to Emmanuel Saez

My co-author and friend Emmanuel Saez was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal on Friday. The prize, which is awarded to the best American economist under the age of forty, is one of the highest honors the economics profession can bestow upon one of its own.

Nudging Along

One of the most important intellectual developments of the past several years that has had a huge impact on my own thinking has been the rise of behavioral economics.

The Case for Reform in Education and Health Care

This morning I delivered a speech before the Association of American Universities, an association of 62 major public and private research universities in the United States and Canada.

Move Over R2, CPO is Here

Lately, OMB has been consumed with the “B” in our title – the budget – but an equally important part of our mission is the “M” or management of the federal government.

Important EPA Finding

In addition to its other responsibilities, OMB reviews proposed regulations and coordinates an interagency review process. We have now concluded review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposed finding that emissions of greenhouse gases from motor vehicles contribute to air pollution that endangers public health and welfare.

Changing the Game in Health Care

The National Journal blog entry on the Administration’s proposals on health care reform highlights some important issues. But is also contains some red herrings – like the idea the Administration’s proposals won’t reduce costs.

Economic Downturns and Crime

The economic downturn imposes significant costs on families. But does it also increase crime?

New Study on Hospital Readmissions

Estimates suggest that as much as $700 billion a year in health care services delivered in the United States cannot be linked to improved health outcomes – and one reason is that we have incentives for more care rather than better care.

IOU, an Explanation

How much does the federal government owe? It might seem like a simple question to ask those of us wearing the green eyeshades, but there are lots of different concepts used to answer it.

Not Your Reg-ular Blog Post

I know most of OMBlog’s readers are budget wonks – or “propellerheads” to use the now-popular White House term – but OMB also takes a very active and serious role in the management of the federal government, and that includes the regulatory agenda.

Climbing the Hill

Today is a big day in the budget world as the House and Senate Budget Committees kicked off Congressional action on the federal budget with their markups of the budget resolutions.

CBO's New Numbers

CBO released its re-estimate of the President’s Budget today.

Funding for Domestic Programs in the Budget

How much does the Administration’s FY 2010 Budget increase domestic programs this coming year? If you listen to some critics, you would think that the answer is “the biggest increase ever.” But if you approach the question analytically . . .

Fair and Square: NDD Spending to Historic Lows

As I’ve blogged about before, the President’s Budget brings non-defense discretionary spending (NDD) down to its lowest level as share of GDP since 1962.

The Fiscal Impact of Winding Down a War

The President is committed to responsibly winding the war down. I don’t do foreign policy, but I can tell you this: ending wars saves money – and so the Administration’s budget includes savings from ramping down overseas military operations over time.

Notes on the Budget

I am testifying today before the House Budget Committee and wanted to share my notes on the budget.

Economic forecasts and the Budget: Consistency with CBO

During last Thursday’s briefing on the President’s FY 2010 Budget, CEA Chair Christina Romer was asked many questions about the economic forecast underlying the Budget – and since then some news reports have highlighted differences between the Administration’s forecast and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecast.

The Budget and Charitable Donations

Is our budget proposal uncharitable?

Clearing up a misconception: “tax hikes during a recession?”

Peter Orszag: One of the questions I received throughout the day today, as we released the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, is why we are proposing to raise taxes on high-income taxpayers during a recession. And the answer is simple: we’re not.

Discipline, Efficiency, Prosperity

Peter Orszag: I want to open up OMB even more to the public and share with you what we’re doing to address the many challenges that we face as a nation. I know that, for many people, blogs are the easiest way of receiving information – so this blog may prove to be useful even if it simply provides a convenient way of keeping up with information from OMB that is already available in other formats.