Each federal agency is required to have a plan to respond to a lapse in appropriations. These plans are often referred to as “contingency plans” or “shutdown plans.” While a lapse in appropriations is often called a “government shutdown,” as the agency contingency plans show, it could be more accurately understood as a “temporary slowdown... The post Agency Shutdown Plans appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
A Federal Government Reduction in Force A federal government reduction in force, or RIF, is the elimination of federal employee positions as authorized under federal civil service law (5 U.S.C. §§3501-3504). RIFs are typically associated with a reorganization, shortage of funds (most often the result of Congressional appropriations), or a lack of work (resulting from... The post EPIC Explainer: Reductions in Force and the Government Shutdown appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
Congressional Democrats are threatening to force a “government shutdown” unless Republicans agree to $1.5 trillion in demands attached to a continuing resolution, the cost of which is almost entirely due to increasing healthcare subsidies. These are arguments commonly used in support of the healthcare demands, along with responses to correct the record about the situation.... The post EPIC Charge & Response: What’s Really Behind the $1.5 Trillion “Alternative” CR Demands appeared fi...| EPIC for America
Some are claiming that the expiration of Biden’s expanded COVID credits in December 2025 will be the cause of increased premiums for people with Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. However, this is not the case. In reality, health insurance companies are actually reporting ACA premiums may increase by 18% on average in 2026 primarily because... The post Fast Facts: Why Are Obamacare Premiums Really Going Up? appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
Background Currently, registered sex offenders are eligible for taxpayer-funded health care through Medicaid and Obamacare. Obamacare plans are subsidized by the Premium Tax Credit (PTC), which was supersized by Biden’s COVID Credits. There are approximately 800,000 registered sex offenders nationwide, 94% of whom are men. Unfortunately, these individuals demonstrably have no morals and can take... The post Stop Subsidizing Evil: Sex Offenders on Medicaid and Obamacare appeared first on EPI...| EPIC for America
America’s youth face a growing challenge of meeting the workforce needs of a nation with an increasingly aging population. Older Americans will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history beginning in 2034, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, fewer than half of young Americans are working today—a sharp decline from the turn... The post America’s Youth Employment is Lacking—Here’s How to Turn it Around appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
This document answers frequently asked questions about Biden’s COVID Credits. Q: What are the Biden COVID Credits? Using the COVID-19 pandemic as justification, the Biden Administration temporarily expanded Obamacare Premium Tax Credit (PTC) subsidies for individuals who purchase health insurance plans on state or federal exchanges. For Obamacare subsidies provided between 2021 and 2025, the... The post EPIC FAQs: The Biden COVID Credits appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
With the national debt exceeding $37 trillion, spending on Biden’s COVID credits has grown out of control. These funds were originally intended to be a temporary emergency subsidy, but are now contributing to rising deficits and falling fiscal space. The Biden COVID credits temporarily expanded the Obamacare premium tax credits by eliminating the income limit... The post Biden COVID Credits Cost More than Entire Federal Agencies appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
Background: Current State of Play At the time of writing, Congress and President Donald J. Trump have not yet reached an agreement on government funding for the annual appropriations bills for fiscal year (FY) 2026. House and Senate Republicans, alongside President Trump, have taken tangible, reasonable, and fiscally responsible steps toward keeping the government... The post Myth Buster: The House-Passed CR Reflects Biden Spending Levels appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
Why Does the Government “Shut Down”? If Congress and the President are unable to agree on new appropriations bills before the start of the new fiscal year (or prior to the expiration of a continuing resolution), a “government shutdown” can occur. A “shutdown” can be partial if only some of the appropriations bills are not...| EPIC for America
Government spending is out of control. If the American people can make tough decisions and only spend within their means, so can Washington. EPIC is working to improve federal budgeting, reduce spending, keep taxes low, and shrink the national debt. After all, it’s not the government’s money – it’s the American people’s money.| EPIC for America
The National Debt and Interest When the federal government spends more than it collects in revenue (i.e., taxes), it must issue debt to maintain its planned level of spending. The federal government, much like any other debtor, owes interest payments on its debt, further driving up federal expenditures. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that net... The post EPIC Explainer: Government Debt appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
The post Earmarks that Fail the Taxpayer appeared first on EPIC for America.| EPIC for America
The evidence in this paper points to a simple story. QE follows fiscal events, but it has not systematically caused an expansionary fiscal stance. I show that deficits widen before QE announcements and are not associated with a persistent increase in the primary balance, the CAPB, or the fiscal impulse. Where I do find a difference is around severe shocks (recessions, COVID-19) when the Fed’s purchasing of Treasury securities was already large or when it is actively buying.| EPIC for America
The Ranking Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), released an alternative Continuing Resolution (CR) on September 17, 2025. The CR would continue discretionary appropriations through October 31, 2025.| EPIC for America
Members who make unreasonable earmark requests will apply pressure to include these projects in final FY 2026 appropriations legislation. However, Congress should prevent clearly wasteful and inappropriate spending from moving forward.| EPIC for America
Congress should reject Senate earmarks that would fund left-wing activist groups.| EPIC for America
The potential for double counting or stacking credits and the absence of firm caps on many of the IRA’s green energy tax credits has led to a massive increase in the law’s true cost to taxpayers.| EPIC for America
Both the House and Senate have made progress on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills. The Senate is proposing to increase spending by about $50 billion above the current FY 2025 levels and the House’s proposed FY 2026 bills.| EPIC for America
Congress should reform the Highway Trust Fund, end appropriations for expanding rail and transit capacity, and avoid infrastructure “stimulus” in the wake of recessions. It is possible to attain meaningful budgetary savings by focusing federal infrastructure efforts on core national systems and cutting off boondoggles once and for all.| EPIC for America
The OBBB’s neutering of the CAFE standard is a win for proponents of consumer choice and deregulation.| EPIC for America
As the Senate steps up in the reconciliation process, there are still opportunities for savings before the final draft of the One Big Beautiful Bill is enacted into law.| EPIC for America
The United States has undergone a dramatic fiscal transformation over the past decade, threatening its economic stability and global position.| EPIC for America
Background Congress will need to increase the debt limit as early as June 2025, and before the 2025 August recess at the latest. The Fiscal Responsibility Act suspends the debt limit through January 1, 2025. The new statutory debt limit will be set automatically, after that suspension expires, at the amount of debt accumulated until...| EPIC for America