Join the Cato Institute and select fiscal experts for a deep dive into emergency spending and its far‐​reaching implications. We’ll be shedding light on how emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Recession, are financed; the related erosion of fiscal norms compared to how the federal government has handled emergency expenditures in the past; and how emergencies have contributed to America’s looming debt crisis, which threatens our nation’s economic future and geopolitical stability.

In the past 30 years, Congress has allocated an astonishing $12 trillion for emergency spending, bypassing spending caps and testing the limits of fiscal responsibility. This staggering sum is on par with the combined expenditure on Medicaid and veterans’ programs during the same timeframe. Our briefing will explore the ways in which emergency spending has exacerbated our current fiscal predicaments and undermined the principles of responsible fiscal management. We’ll also delve into innovative budget‐​reform proposals designed to restrain emergency‐​spending abuses and restore US fiscal norms.

Mark your calendars for noon on Friday, May 3, for this enlightening and informative discussion. We’ll include a lively Q&A session where you’ll gain a clearer understanding of the trajectory of America’s fiscal policy surrounding emergency and disaster response. Lunch will be served.

*Participants are advised that still images and general descriptions of the event may be used in future promotional materials produced by the Cato Institute.