America's Priorities

“Charles Konigsberg has done a great service for American taxpayers— giving all of us a clear, direct and meaningful guide to the $3 trillion of our money that goes to the government to fund programs that shape our daily lives (for better or worse.) For one used to wading through gobbledygook or impenetrable jargon, the plainspoken, straightforward actual English in this book is especially refreshing. Every American concerned about federal taxing and spending—Democrat, Republican or other, budget analyst or average citizen—should have this book.” Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute “This is an extremely useful book—both for those seeking a comprehensible introduction to the complexities of the federal budget and to practitioners needing a quick refresher course.” Alice M.Rivlin, former Director, Office of Management and Budget, and Congressional Budget Office “Charles Konigsberg, who advised my good friend Pat Moynihan on fiscal policy, explains in clear and concise language why the United States is on a dangerous fiscal path, with entitlement programs, particularly the health care entitlements, growing at an unsustainable rate due to rapidly rising health care costs.
“ Bob Kerrey, former Senator from Nebraska and current President of the New School America’s Priorities explains in clear, concise, nonpartisan language how the U.S. government raises and spends $3 trillion per year. The book provides plain English explanations of the budget process, major Federal spending programs, Federal taxes, and the reasons for the major swing from deficits in the 1980s to surpluses in the late 1990s and back to rapidly increasing debt in the current decade. A broad spectrum of readers will find the book useful: journalists, political and financial commentators, the government and financial sectors, the academic community, and voters looking for a nonpartisan explanation of how our elected officials are prioritizing public resources. Charles S.Konigsberg has over two decades of bipartisan experience in the White House and U.S. Senate, having served as General Counsel at the Senate Finance Committee, Minority Chief Counsel at the Senate Rules Committee, Staff Attorney at the Senate Budget Committee, and 4 years as an Assistant Director at the Office of Management and Budget.