Buckle up for a big economics week in Washington

Mar 6, 2023
Fed Chair Jerome Powell testifies on Capitol Hill tomorrow and Wednesday. President Biden is set to release a budget outline on Thursday, and we get February jobs numbers this Friday.
Above, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies to Congress in June. He's slated to appear before lawmakers again this week to discuss the central bank's activities and a range of economic issues.
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Teachers are underpaid. Is that changing?

Mar 3, 2023
At least two dozen states — and Congress — have either proposed or enacted laws to increase teacher pay in the past couple of years.
At least two dozen states, plus Congress, have proposed or enacted laws to boost teacher pay in recent years.
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What's really behind concerns about government overspending?

The current debt ceiling fight reflects old concerns about government debt, says economist Michael Boskin.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, above, is a player in the debt ceiling issue. Economist Michael Boskin, who led the Council of Economic Advisers under the first President Bush, says the current debt battle reflects concerns about excessive government spending.
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State of the Union speech is Biden's chance to sell his economic record to skeptical Americans

Feb 7, 2023
President Biden is likely to tout the strong job market and recovery from the pandemic recession.
President Joe Biden delivers his 2022 state of the union address to Congress. This year, president is likely to talk progress on inflation and other economic matters.
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The origin of the U.S. debt ceiling

Jan 19, 2023
The U.S. government hit its debt ceiling Thursday and must raise the debt limit to avoid defaulting. How did we get here?
With the debt ceiling reached, the U.S. Treasury initiated "extraordinary measures" to avert a government default.
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How Congress' latest bid to help Americans save for retirement falls short

Dec 12, 2022
Economists say bills like the Secure Act 2.0 mostly benefit those who already have some retirement savings.
One in four Americans aren't saving for retirement, many of them because they can't afford to.
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For public good, not for profit.

A new documentary about economic hardship comes from an unlikely auteur: Congress

Dec 7, 2022
The film highlights the struggles of three American families — in hopes of generating empathy in troubled political times.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Dec. 4, 2022.
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The promise and compromise of Senate Democrats' climate change legislation

Jul 29, 2022
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.., announced that he would back the package Thursday after previously raising inflation concerns.
Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Thursday that he had agreed to support the Biden administration's climate change package.
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Small businesses push back on plan to redirect COVID relief funds

Apr 19, 2022
The Biden administration, pressured to avoid new spending, may reallocate the money to pandemic health care needs.
Congress could reroute about $5 billion in COVID relief set aside for small business to pandemic-related health care needs.  
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