Criminal Law Library BlogOctober 16, 2026 – Cost Estimate.
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 16, 2026
Articles Posted in Financial Projections
The Future of Social Security: Understanding the 2026 Long Term Projections
Introduction
Social Security’s long term financial outlook has again moved to the forefront with the release of the Congressional Budget Office’s 2026 long term projections and the Social Security Trustees’ latest annual assessment. Although the reports differ in methodology and some of their estimates, they point to the same fundamental challenge: under current law, the gap between Social Security’s scheduled benefits and the revenues available to finance them is projected to persist and generally widen over the decades ahead. This article examines the findings of CBO and the Trustees, supplemented by analysis from J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with particular attention to the projected depletion of trust fund reserves, the distinction between scheduled and payable benefits, the demographic and economic forces contributing to the financing gap, and what these projections actually mean, and do not mean, for the future of Social Security.
CBO’s 2026 Long Term Projections for Social Security
Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations: 2026 Final Report
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) final report, August 28,2026.*
CBO reports annually on programs whose authorizations of appropriations have already expired or will expire. This report updates CBO’s preliminary report that was released on January 15, 2026.
SUMMARY:
A New Proposal Would Increase Social Security COLAs: What Retirees Should Know
Introduction
For more than 70 million Americans, Social Security provides an essential source of retirement, disability, and survivor income. One of the program’s most important features is the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which is intended to help benefits keep pace with inflation.
A recently introduced proposal in Congress the Social Security 2100 Act would make a significant change to the way future COLAs are calculated. According to a recent overview published by FinanceBuzz, the legislation would replace the current inflation index used for Social Security with one that many advocates believe more accurately reflects the spending patterns of older Americans. If enacted, retirees could receive modestly larger annual benefit increases over time.
Overview of Income Polarization Redux: NYC’s Wage Gains are (Again) Flowing to the Top
Source: Mohamed Obaidy, Associate Director, Economic Policy Team, Center for New York City Affairs (CNYCA), Income Polarization Redux: NYC’s Wage Gains Are (Again) Flowing to the Top (2026).
Introduction
In Income Polarization Redux: NYC’s Wage Gains Are (Again) Flowing to the Top, Mohamed Obaidy examines recent wage, employment, and productivity trends in New York City and concludes that economic gains are becoming increasingly concentrated among higher-income workers and higher-paying industries. While New York City’s economy continues to grow and workers are becoming more productive, the benefits of that growth are not being distributed evenly across the workforce.
Debt Without End? Examining America’s Long Term Fiscal Challenges
Few issues in American public life generate more political rhetoric, and less public consensus, than the growth of the national debt. Democrats and Republicans alike frequently accuse one another of fiscal irresponsibility, while voters struggle to determine which party has actually contributed more to the nation’s long-term debt burden.
Two recent sources help illuminate this debate from different perspectives: an article distributed by The Epoch Times and an analytical report published by Investopedia titled “Democrats vs. Republicans: Who Had More National Debt?” Together, these sources underscore both the political complexity and the historical nuance surrounding America’s growing fiscal challenges.
According to Investopedia, the United States national debt exceeded $38 trillion in 2025–2026, continuing a decades-long pattern of expansion under administrations of both political parties. The article notes that, when adjusted for inflation and measured per presidential term since 1913, Republican presidents have added slightly more debt on average than Democratic presidents: approximately $1.4 trillion per term versus $1.2 trillion for Democrats. However, Democratic presidents collectively added more total debt overall because Democrats occupied the White House for more years during the period studied.
CBO: Potential Costs of a National Missile Defense System
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Report, May 12, 2026.*
CBO estimates that a national missile defense system possessing capabilities broadly consistent with those in the “The Iron Dome for America” executive order would cost about $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy, and operate for 20 years.
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CBO’s Baseline Projections of Federal Subsidies for Health Insurance
A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) presentation by Phill Swagel, Sean Dunbar, Sarah Masi, and Sarah Sajewski on May 11, 2026
SUMMARY:
“This presentation describes CBO’s February 2026 projections of federal subsidies for health insurance, with a focus on Medicare, Medicaid, and premium tax credits. Projected enrollments in those and other programs are discussed, as are the factors that prompted changes to CBO’s projections since January 2025.”
Estimating the Economic Effects of Federal Investment in Research and Development
FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE (CBO), MAY 1, 2026.
Presentation about work by Sheila Campbell, Jaeger Nelson, Eli Schrag, Heidi Williams, and Caleb Wroblewski at the NBER Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy and the Economy Conference
SUMMARY:
Legislation Enacted in the First Session of the 119th Congress That Affects Mandatory Spending or Revenues
A Congressional Budget Office Report, March 19, 2026.
CBO estimates that the effects on direct spending and revenues of laws enacted in the first session of the 119th Congress will reduce outlays and decrease revenues from 2025 to 2034, which will increase the deficit by $3.5 trillion
SUMMARY: