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CEA: No, Seriously, the Recovery Act is Working

Thu, 04/15/2010 - 11:34 — Sam Rosen-Amy

Domestic Food Assistance: Complex System Benefits Millions, but Additional Efforts Could Address Potential Inefficiency and Overlap among Smaller Programs, April 15, 2010

Thu, 04/15/2010 - 00:00 — admin

The federal government spends billions of dollars every year on domestic food assistance programs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers most of these programs and monitors the prevalence of food insecurity--that is, the percentage of U.S. households that were unable to afford enough food sometime during the year. Other federal agencies also fund food assistance programs; however, comprehensive and consolidated information on the multiple programs is not readily available.

Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office, April 15, 2010

Thu, 04/15/2010 - 00:00 — admin

This testimony discusses the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) budget request for fiscal year 2011. In fiscal year 2009, GAO supported congressional decision making and oversight on a range of critical issues, including the government's efforts to help stabilize financial markets and address the most severe recession since World War II.

U.S. Government Financial Statements: Fiscal Year 2009 Audit Highlights Financial Management Challenges and Unsustainable Long-Term Fiscal Path, April 14, 2010

Wed, 04/14/2010 - 00:00 — admin

GAO annually audits the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS). Congress and the President need reliable, useful, and timely financial and performance information to make sound decisions and conduct effective oversight of federal government programs and policies. The federal government began preparing the CFS 13 years ago. Over the years, certain material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting have prevented GAO from expressing an opinion on the accrual-based consolidated financial statements.

Unemployment Insurance Trust Funds: Long-standing State Financing Policies Have Increased Risk of Insolvency, April 14, 2010

Wed, 04/14/2010 - 00:00 — admin

The federal-state unemployment insurance (UI) program relies on state trust funds to hold enough reserves to meet benefit needs during economic downturns. The sufficiency of such "forward funding" has been a policy concern for decades, particularly during the recent recession, which has caused very high unemployment rates. While the economy added jobs in March 2010, unemployment remains very high and has continued to rise in most states, suggesting that state UI programs will continue to face serious financial challenges for at least the near future.

Stimulus Spending Update: $329 Billion Out the Door

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 11:12 — admin

by Sebastian Jones, ProPublica - April 13, 2010 10:17 am EDT
The Obama administration has spent close to $329 billion in stimulus funds, according to numbers from Recovery.gov. The latest total includes about $210 billion in spending and $119 billion in tax cuts. Overall, just over 41 percent of the nearly $800 billion stimulus package has entered the economy.

American Samoa and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Wages, Employment, Employer Actions, Earnings, and Worker Views Since Minimum Wage Increases Began, April 8, 2010

Thu, 04/08/2010 - 00:00 — admin

In 2007, the United States enacted a law incrementally raising the minimum wages in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The law applied the first $.50 per hour increase in July 2007 and mandated additional increases in each subsequent year until the minimum wages reach the level of the U.S. minimum wage--currently $7.25 per hour. American Samoa's lowest paid will reach that wage in 2016, and the CNMI in 2015. In American Samoa, one of two tuna canneries employing almost a third of workers closed in September 2009.