Think tank · Policy · Washington, DC · Est. 1981
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan nonprofit focused on educating the public and engaging policymakers around United States fiscal policy and the federal budget. CRFB describes itself as an independent source of objective fiscal and budget analysis, providing research and public education on issues with significant fiscal policy impact, and working with lawmakers and their staffs across parties to analyze proposals and improve the nation’s fiscal and economic condition.
CRFB also positions itself as a “trusted budget watchdog” that supports journalists in understanding fiscal developments in Washington. CRFB was incorporated on June 10, 1981, after former congressional leaders and budget officials concluded that the country needed an organization outside government committed to sound budget process and independent analysis. CRFB’s work is organized around both policy analysis and public-facing initiatives. Its research and communications efforts include widely cited analyses of budget releases, health care and retirement-trust-fund solvency topics, and periodic reporting on fiscal conditions and congressional budget process developments. CRFB also runs interactive tools intended to help policymakers, educators, and the public understand trade-offs in federal fiscal choices—such as its Social Security solvency “The Reformer,” its budget trade-off “Debt Fixer,” and other “interactive tools” pages. In addition, CRFB’s programmatic “projects” include FixUS, which focuses on the root causes of national divisions and deteriorating political functioning, as well as educational/engagement campaigns such as Tell the Truth about Social Security. Strategically, CRFB appears to function as a bridge between budget-policy technical analysis and public and congressional engagement: it publishes “papers,” “press releases,” blogs, and recurring fiscal “watch” reporting, and it conducts structured engagement with Members of Congress and congressional offices. Its leadership (a president and bipartisan board co-chairs) emphasizes nonpartisan fiscal responsibility, and its project mix combines near-term policy briefings with longer-horizon solvency education, including interactive reform planning tools aimed at trust-fund timelines and deficit/debt dynamics.
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Note: This paper has been updated
Memo Ceas Flawed Analysis Does Not Show Tcja Extension Would Produce 3 GrowthCRFB summarizes a Congressional Research Service report, stating Congress excluded or erased over $12 trillion from the five-year PAYGO scorecard and over $17 trillion from the ten-year scorecard between 2010 and 2025.
Reforming Medicare Supplemental InsuranceCRFB publishes a paper discussing supplemental insurance coverage for Traditional Medicare beneficiaries and potential approaches to reduce overall health care spending while addressing beneficiary cost exposure.
5% Interest Rates Are a Troubling Sign of the Road AheadCRFB issues a press release (statement from President Maya MacGuineas) discussing implications of the ten-year Treasury note topping 5 percent, and ties the development to debt/deficit dynamics and interest costs.
"Election Dividends" Would Explode Deficit and Worsen InflationCRFB issues a press release criticizing a proposed $5,000 dividend scheme as deficit-increasing and inflation-worsening.
How Debt Got to 100% of GDP: A From Riches to Rags UpdateCRFB updates a prior analysis, linking changes in spending, tax, and entitlement growth since 2001 to how debt-to-GDP reached 100%.
10-Year Treasury Yield Hit 4.8%, Highest Since 2023CRFB publishes commentary connecting rising interest rates to factors including high national debt and discusses debt/interest-rate feedback mechanisms.