ICYMI: JEC Holds Hearing on Protecting Patients and Taxpayers by Combating Healthcare Fraud
On Wednesday, June 24, the Joint Economic Committee held a hearing entitled Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Combating Healthcare Fraud and Leakage to Strengthen Program Integrity. Led by Committee Chairman Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the hearing ...
May State Unemployment Remained Unchanged in 22 States, Decreased in 20, and Increased in 9
In May, unemployment remained unchanged in 22 states, decreased in 20, and increased in nine. The highest unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in the District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.1 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in May. Compared to the nation...
JEC Issues Brief finding Insurance Broker Costs Rising Rapidly, especially in Medicare Advantage Plans
The Joint Economic Committee released a brief entitled Right Plans or Wrong Incentives? How Broker Payments May Raise Federal Spending which outlines the rise in spending by the federal government on insurance brokers. While brokers serve a useful role in theory, the brief finds that current incenti...
JEC Chairman Schweikert to Hold Hearing on Healthcare Fraud and Leakage
Joint Economic Committee Chairman David Schweikert will hold a hearing entitled “Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Combating Healthcare Fraud and Leakage to Strengthen Program Integrity” to address both explicit fraud such as home health fraud as well as “leakage” in which healthcare programs are n...
Consumer Price Index Inflation Rose 4.25 Percent Over the Year in May
Headline Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) rose 0.47 percent in May and 4.25 percent over the past year. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.21 percent in May and 2.85 percent over the past year. Energy price inflation rose 3.88 percent in May and was up 23.54 percent over the past year. Foo...
May Closes with $293 Billion Deficit, Up to $1.246 Trillion Deficit for FY2026
In May, the federal government ran a deficit of $292.648 billion. From the beginning of this fiscal year to May 2026, deficits were $1.246 trillion. This means 25.42 percent of outlays in FY2026 were not paid for by revenues, and for every dollar the federal government received in revenue, it spent ...
May Closes with $293 Billion Deficit, Up to $1.246 Trillion Deficit for FY2026
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Joint Economic Committee released its Monthly Fiscal Update. In May, the federal government ran a surplus of $292.65 billion. From the beginning of this fiscal year to May 2026, deficits were $1.246 trillion. This means 25.42 percent of outlays in FY2026 were not paid for...
Consumer Price Index Inflation Rose 4.25 Percent Over the Year in May
In May, headline Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) rose 0.47 percent in May and 4.25 percent over the past year. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.21 percent in May and 2.85 percent over the past year.
Trade Gap Tightens in April, Ends April 7 Percent Below 12-Month Average
The total trade deficit in April was $55.88 billion, down $704 million from March and seven percent below the 12-month average. In trade of goods, the U.S. ran a trade deficit of $83.69 billion, down $2.39 billion from March and 4 percent above the 12-month average. In trade of services, the U.S...
JEC: Stabilizing U.S. Debt Will Require Hard Choices Washington Isn’t Making
The JEC finds the rising debt-to-GDP ratio is structurally unsustainable. Stabilizing debt will require large, early policy changes, and delay materially increases the risk of severe economic and financial consequences. To rein in and slow the growth of federal debt, the letter focuses on solutions ...