Statement: Robert Greenstein on the Congressional Budget Office’s New Long-Term Budget Forecast


 

Publication Date: December 2007

Publisher: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): Robert Greenstein

Research Area: Economics; Health

Type: Report

Abstract:

The new Congressional Budget Office report shows that rising health care costs are the largest driver of the nation’s long-term budget problems.  But CBO’s projections also indicate that the costs of making expiring tax cuts--such as those enacted in 2001 and 2003--permanent without paying for them would be the second largest factor, if policymakers follow that course.