Accountability journalism tracking federal spending, congressional votes, and economic data https://govtransparencyproject.org en-us 2026 Gov Transparency Project research@govtransparencyproject.org (GTP Research Desk) research@govtransparencyproject.org (GTP Research Desk) Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000 60 https://govtransparencyproject.org/images/gtp-logo.png https://govtransparencyproject.org 144 144 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/debt-to-penny-39-trillion-interest-rate-reset-2026.html Treasury data shows debt above $39 trillion while average borrowing costs and record bill auction sizes keep rollover risk central to the budget outlook. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/debt-to-penny-39-trillion-interest-rate-reset-2026.html GTP Research Desk Budget & Deficit https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2026-midyear-deficit-cools-interest-costs-climb.html First-half FY2026 borrowing improved versus last year, but debt remained near $39 trillion and annual net interest outlays stayed close to $1 trillion in official data. Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2026-midyear-deficit-cools-interest-costs-climb.html GTP Research Desk Budget & Deficit https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/ieepa-scotus-ruling-section-122-trade-framework-2026.html A 6-3 SCOTUS ruling voided IEEPA tariffs, requiring $166B in refunds from 330,000+ businesses. The administration pivoted to Section 122 — a narrower statute with a hard 150-day clock. What changed and what's next for U.S. trade law. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/ieepa-scotus-ruling-section-122-trade-framework-2026.html GTP Research Desk Regulatory Watch https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/tariff-shock-trade-reversal-consumer-slowdown-2026.html The U.S. trade deficit swung $81B in a year. GDP near-stalled at 0.7% in Q4 2025. Consumer sentiment sits at 56.6. Here's what the official numbers actually reveal when examined in sequence. Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/tariff-shock-trade-reversal-consumer-slowdown-2026.html GTP Research Desk Economic Data https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2025-agency-net-cost-breakdown-federal-spending.html The Treasury's FY2025 Statement of Net Cost reveals agency-level net costs — and how $970 billion in interest payments now exceeds all 24 discretionary agencies combined at 122.5% debt-to-GDP. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2025-agency-net-cost-breakdown-federal-spending.html GTP Research Desk Federal Spending https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/labor-force-shrinkage-interest-costs-fiscal-squeeze-2026.html Federal interest costs hit $970 billion in FY2025—up 10% in one year—while labor force participation fell to 62.0%. The data reveals a widening gap between the tax base and federal debt service. Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/labor-force-shrinkage-interest-costs-fiscal-squeeze-2026.html GTP Research Desk Budget & Deficit https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/ustr-section-301-investigations-76-economies-2026.html USTR opened simultaneous Section 301 investigations targeting manufacturing overcapacity in 16 economies and forced labor failures in 60 economies — the broadest simultaneous deployment of U.S. trade law authority in modern history, following the Supreme Court's February 2026 IEEPA ruling. Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/ustr-section-301-investigations-76-economies-2026.html GTP Research Desk Regulatory Watch https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/consumer-confidence-collapse-gdp-divergence-2026.html Michigan sentiment fell to 56.4 — a 3-year low — as Q4 2025 GDP growth stalled at 0.7%. Five federal data series reveal the divergence between macro stability and consumer-side stress in early 2026. Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/consumer-confidence-collapse-gdp-divergence-2026.html GTP Research Desk Economic Data https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/treasury-auction-volumes-federal-borrowing-mechanics-2026.html The U.S. Treasury set a record $110 billion 4-week bill auction in October 2025. With total debt at $39T and average rates at 3.32% — more than double the 2021 level — record auction volumes are the permanent operating condition of the U.S. fiscal system. Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/treasury-auction-volumes-federal-borrowing-mechanics-2026.html GTP Research Desk Federal Spending https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2025-deficit-structural-squeeze-mandatory-spending.html The federal government ran a $1.83 trillion deficit in FY2025 — 5.77% of GDP — with mandatory programs and $970B in interest payments now consuming 86 cents of every revenue dollar collected. Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2025-deficit-structural-squeeze-mandatory-spending.html GTP Research Desk Budget & Deficit https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/national-debt-39-trillion-fy2026-pace.html The national debt crossed $39 trillion on March 19, 2026, having added $1.14 trillion in just 169 days of FY2026. At $6.73 billion added every day, the annualized borrowing pace has reached $2.46 trillion — and taxpayers are paying $3.5 billion in daily interest cost. Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/national-debt-39-trillion-fy2026-pace.html GTP Research Desk Federal Spending https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/federal-workforce-reduction-jobless-claims-2026.html Federal initial jobless claims surged to 230,000 in late January 2026 — the largest non-weather spike since early 2024 — as federal workforce reductions reached peak pace. BLS data shows a measurable labor market footprint from the largest peacetime federal workforce reduction in US history. Sun, 22 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/federal-workforce-reduction-jobless-claims-2026.html GTP Research Desk Regulatory Watch https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/dhs-shutdown-senate-votes-119th-congress-2026.html The Senate has failed four cloture votes on H.R. 7147, the DHS Appropriations Act for FY2026 — every attempt falling roughly 9 votes short of the 60-vote threshold required to end debate. After 34 days, 366 TSA officers have resigned and a Senate recess deadline looms March 30. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/dhs-shutdown-senate-votes-119th-congress-2026.html GTP Research Desk Congressional Votes https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2026-deficit-one-trillion-five-months-cbo.html The federal government ran a $1 trillion deficit in the first five months of FY2026, CBO reports, with $308 billion borrowed in February alone. CBO projects a $1.9 trillion full-year gap as revenues rise but mandatory spending continues to outpace receipts. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2026-deficit-one-trillion-five-months-cbo.html GTP Research Desk Budget & Deficit https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/cfpb-gao-report-workforce-cuts-enforcement-rollback-2025.html A GAO audit covering Feb–Aug 2025 found the CFPB issued stop-work orders, cut 88% of its workforce, dismissed 17 enforcement cases, and rescinded 70 guidance documents — while declining to cooperate with the audit. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:30:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/cfpb-gao-report-workforce-cuts-enforcement-rollback-2025.html GTP Research Desk Regulatory Watch https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/one-big-beautiful-bill-congress-vote-cbo-score.html The CBO's post-enactment analysis of Public Law 119-21 raises the 10-year deficit impact to $3.4 trillion — $1 trillion above early estimates. Both chambers passed by a single vote. We document the full vote record and updated fiscal consequences. Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/one-big-beautiful-bill-congress-vote-cbo-score.html GTP Research Desk Congressional Votes https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2025-federal-spending-by-agency-breakdown.html In FY2025, the federal government spent $7.0 trillion — but three agencies (HHS, SSA, DoD) consumed 66.8% of every dollar. A GTP analysis of CBO and Treasury data maps the full agency-level spending landscape for the closed fiscal year. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/fy2025-federal-spending-by-agency-breakdown.html GTP Research Desk Federal Spending https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/federal-interest-payments-trillion-dollar-milestone.html In FY2025, federal net interest payments on the national debt crossed $1 trillion for the first time ever — now the second-largest budget line item, ahead of defense spending, with total debt at $38.9 trillion and CBO projecting $2.1 trillion annually by 2036. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/federal-interest-payments-trillion-dollar-milestone.html GTP Research Desk Budget & Deficit https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/gdp-growth-slowdown-q4-2025-bea-data.html BEA data shows real GDP grew just 1.4% annualized in Q4 2025, down sharply from 4.4% in Q3. Core PCE inflation holds at 3.0% above the Fed's 2% target as unemployment edges up to 4.4% in February 2026. Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/gdp-growth-slowdown-q4-2025-bea-data.html GTP Research Desk Economic Data https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/one-big-beautiful-bill-hr1-215-214-vote.html H.R. 1 passed the House 215–214 and cleared the Senate 50–50 on a Vice President tie-break. Three Republican senators crossed party lines. CBO projects the law adds $2.4 trillion to deficits through 2034. Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://govtransparencyproject.org/articles/one-big-beautiful-bill-hr1-215-214-vote.html GTP Research Desk Congressional Votes