Free Republic

Federal spending jumped from $4.45 trillion in 2019 to $6.21 trillion in 2023, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That is a 40 percent increase in four years. The pandemic supercharged the federal budget, and spending and deficits are expected to continue rising unless policymakers pursue major reforms.What is all the new spending since 2019? The answer is surprising, as shown in the two tables below. The main drivers of the recent increases have not been the largest three programs—Social Security, Medicare, and defense—but rather rapid growth in numerous other programs.Table 1 shows CBO spending for 2019 and baseline estimates...

The weight to having a family business,' Raymond says while guiding me through massive walk-in freezers holding a fraction of their capacity, 'is you don't want to be the one who fails.'The story below is the second in a series on America’s small businesses, their struggles under the shutdowns, and what they’re doing to survive. Over two weeks, The Federalist is traveling the country to tell more stories like this one (and a few about the outlaws).SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — Raymond and Jill Zaelit massively expanded their facilities in 2017. Their business is meat, or more specifically, carving, crafting...