The budgetary costs shown for selected credit programs would be higher under fair-value accounting—an alternative to the current approach for measuring costs—because it more fully accounts for the cost of the risk the government takes on.
May 2014
Director Doug Elmendorf explained in his presentation that, under current law, the future of the federal budget will be strikingly different from its past in two keys ways.
CBO learns from many outside experts. Part of that learning comes through its Panel of Economic Advisers, which consists of distinguished economists with diverse areas of expertise. Today CBO announces the current members of that panel.
The federal government ran a budget deficit of $301 billion for the first seven months of fiscal year 2014, CBO estimates—$187 billion less than the shortfall recorded in the same span last year.
With its current revenue sources, the Highway Trust Fund cannot support spending at the current rate. The fund’s projected shortfalls have generated increased interest in borrowing by state and local governments to finance highway projects.