Why GOP unlikely to repeat ‘90s balanced budget feat

+ liar, liar Santos on fire US Edition - Today's top story: I helped balance the federal budget in the 1990s – here's just how hard it will be for the GOP to achieve that same rare feat [View in browser]( US Edition | 1 February 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( A balanced budget is the price many Republicans want President Joe Biden to pay in exchange for raising the debt ceiling – and that’s the message House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will likely deliver when he sits down with Biden later today. The federal government has managed to balance its books so that revenue exceeds spending only once since 1969. Former President Bill Clinton oversaw four years of government surpluses during his second term in office – and it’s been a sea of red ever since. Could the government do it again? Not likely, writes Linda J. Bilmes, a senior lecturer in public policy and public finance at Harvard Kennedy School. Bilmes, who worked for the Clinton administration when it achieved this rare feat in the late 1990s, [describes their balanced-budget recipe]( and explains why the numbers Congress must grapple with in 2023 make a repeat performance exceedingly difficult. Also today: - [Essential reads for Black History Month]( - [Parking garages are being transformed into apartments and mushroom farms]( - [Low-income Americans are being shut out of the electric vehicle boom]( Bryan Keogh Deputy Managing Editor and Senior Editor of Economy and Business [I helped balance the federal budget in the 1990s – here’s just how hard it will be for the GOP to achieve that same rare feat]( Linda J. Bilmes, Harvard Kennedy School House Speaker McCarthy wants to put the US on a path to a balanced budget as debt ceiling negotiations begin with President Biden. Here’s why it won’t be easy to repeat what Bill Clinton accomplished. Environment + Energy - [The EV transition isn’t just about cars – the broader goal should be access to clean mobility for everyone]( Sita M. Syal, University of Michigan If the EV transition focuses exclusively on drivers in privately owned cars, it won’t meet many Americans’ mobility needs, particularly in underserved communities. - [The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere – but first we need to build a 4D system to track what’s going on down there]( Peter de Menocal, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution An ocean scientist describes plans for an ‘internet of the ocean,’ with sensors and autonomous vehicles that can explore the deep sea and monitor its vital signs. Politics + Society - [A Black history primer on African Americans’ fight for equality – five essential reads]( Howard Manly, The Conversation America’s complicated history with race can be told through the lives and times of Black Americans, a view that some GOP-controlled state legislatures want to restrict, if not outright ban. - [George Santos: A democracy can’t easily penalize lies by politicians]( Miguel Schor, Drake University When candidates can get elected to Congress based on a mountain of lies they’ve told, is it time to reconsider whether such lies are protected by the First Amendment? - [As charges loom over Trump, prosecutors come under fire – a criminal justice expert explains what’s at stake]( Jessica S. Henry, Montclair State University Most prosecutors are elected in uncontested races across the country. But there are signs that the posts are becoming political hotbeds, placing more pressure on the criminal justice system. Health - [Lung cancer rates have decreased for the Marlboro Man, but have risen steeply for nonsmokers and young women – an oncologist explains why]( Estelamari Rodriguez, University of Miami While lung cancer rates have decreased by 43% in men, they have risen by 79% in women. New screening guidelines and recognizing early symptoms can help address the changing face of lung cancer. Arts + Culture - [City planners are questioning the point of parking garages]( Kevin J. Krizek, University of Colorado Boulder; John Hersey, University of Colorado Boulder As many cities grapple with the housing crisis, some places are rewriting regulations and finding creative ways to repurpose these hulking masses of concrete that suck up valuable real estate. Economy + Business - [Last Boeing 747 rolls out of the factory: How the ‘queen of the skies’ reigned over air travel]( Janet Bednarek, University of Dayton On Sept. 30, 1968, the first Boeing 747 rolled off the assembly line, ready to hit the skies as the biggest commercial jet at the time. Some 55 years later, the last one has left its factory. Trending on site - [US debt default could trigger dollar’s collapse – and severely erode America’s political and economic might]( - [‘The Whale’ is a horror film that taps into our fear of fatness]( - [Sheriffs who see themselves as ultimate defenders of the Constitution are especially worried about gun rights]( Today's graphic [A chart that breaks down California's greenhouse gas emissions by sector. The categories are transportation, industrial, electricity in-state, electricity imports, agriculture, commercial and residential.]( From the story, [How California’s ambitious new climate plan could help speed energy transformation around the world]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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