Foreign
House GOP Bill Adds $2.4T To Deficit, Says CBO
House Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending cuts package would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) analysis of the bill that GOP lawmakers narrowly approved last month.
Also, nearly 11 million more people would be uninsured in 2034 due in large part to the package’s historic cuts to Medicaid, the CBO found.
The highly anticipated score, which was released Wednesday, could complicate Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s task of crafting a version of the legislation that his divided conference would approve. Several GOP senators have already expressed concern about the House package’s potential impact to the deficit and want to make deeper spending cuts, while others are wary of the major reductions to the nation’s safety net – particularly Medicaid – in the House bill.
The analysis also adds ammunition to billionaire Elon Musk’s attacks on the package, which he wrote on X Tuesday would bankrupt America. The posts follow an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, in which Musk said the bill would increase the deficit and undermine the work of his Department of Government Efficiency.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk, who recently stepped back from his role with the federal government, posted on X, later adding, “Congress is making America bankrupt.”
Senators began working on the legislation this week, but whatever changes they make would have to pass muster in the House. Thune is hoping to send it to President Donald Trump’s desk by July 4.
The CBO analysis also adds fuel to Democrats’ and budget watchdogs’ claims that the package, which aims to fulfill Trump’s agenda, would worsen the nation’s fiscal outlook while providing big tax cuts for the wealthy.
Trump and House GOP leaders have already sought to undercut the CBO’s projections, arguing that nonpartisan agency has missed the mark in the past and that its analyses don’t properly account for the economic growth that would result from the tax breaks. They have made similar claims about estimates from independent groups that also project a big hit to the deficit.
Minutes after the CBO released its analysis, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise attacked the agency, saying it is once again ignoring the business boom – and resulting revenue growth – that the package will spur.
“Anybody who repeats CBO’s analysis is also making those same mistakes,” he said at a House GOP press conference, adding that when the bill becomes law “you’re going to see economic growth in this country like we haven’t seen in generations, meaning more pay in the pockets of workers, and you’re going to see more Treasury money coming in because of the growth of the American economy.”
The CBO said an analysis that takes into account the economic effects of the legislation is forthcoming.
Some Senate leaders are looking to dodge the question of the package’s deficit impact by arguing that extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act should be considered a continuation of current policy, and, therefore, would not contribute to an increase in the deficit. The CBO analysis is based on the standard approach of current law, in which the tax cuts expire at the end of the year, so their extension would entail a cost.
The House package calls for making permanent essentially all of the individual income tax cuts contained in the 2017 tax cuts act. The bill would also temporarily provide tax relief to certain senior citizens and workers who earn tips and overtime, which Trump promised on the campaign trail last year. And it would temporarily restore two TCJA tax breaks for businesses, including allowing them to immediately deduct the cost of research and development and equipment.
To help offset the cost of the tax relief, the House bill would enact historic cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, two of the nation’s key safety net programs. The package would institute work requirements in Medicaid, which provides health insurance to low-income Americans, and would expand the work mandate in the food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. These provisions would result in millions of people losing their access to health coverage and nutrition assistance, according to preliminary CBO projections released earlier.
The bill would also boost spending on defense, border security and immigration enforcement, which are among Trump’s top priorities.
Big spending cuts, bigger tax cuts
The House package would cut close to $1.3 trillion in spending over a decade, according to the CBO. But the legislation would lower revenue by nearly $3.7 trillion.
Independent analyses show that the tax relief in the package would disproportionately benefit higher-income households, with the impact being even more pronounced if the spending cuts are considered. Those in the lowest income groups would see their incomes fall, after taxes and certain government benefits are taken into account, while the highest earners would enjoy an income boost, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model’s estimate of the final House bill.
Some 10.9 million more people would be uninsured in 2034 under the bill, CBO estimated. That includes 7.8 million Americans who would lose health insurance because of the Medicaid provisions and roughly 1.4 million people without verified citizenship or satisfactory immigration status who would not be covered in 2034 by health programs funded only with state dollars. Others would lose coverage because of the Affordable Care Act measures in the bill.
“This would be the biggest rollback in federal support for health care ever,” Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the nonpartisan KFF, posted on X.
Democrats quickly sought to amplify the CBO’s findings about the bill’s impact.
“It’s shocking House Republicans rushed to vote on this bill without an accounting from CBO on the millions of people who will lose their health care or the trillions of dollars it would add to the national debt,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement.
“The truth is Republican leaders raced to pass this bill under cover of night because they didn’t want the American people or even their own members to know about its catastrophic consequences.”
Edition.cnn.com
South Sudan President Salva Kiir fired Finance Minister Bak Barnaba Chol in a reshuffle that was unveiled on state television on Monday evening.
Chol was appointed to the post in November, following the president’s firing of Athian Diing Athian just two months after his appointment.
Kiir appointed Salvatore Garang, an economist trained at the University of Khartoum in Sudan, as the new Minister of Finance.
Garang previously served as finance minister from 2018 to 2020, a period marked by economic reforms and fiscal strains.
During his first stint in the role, local media reported that Garang faced corruption allegations, including that he allocated 100,000 dollars to cover the cost of his son’s funeral.
He has not commented on the allegations.
The decree also removed several other senior officials, including the commissioner general of the National Revenue Authority, as part of the broader administrative changes.
Analysts say Kiir regularly makes changes to ranks in the military and government to maintain control as he contends with armed conflict and speculation about his eventual succession.
No reason was given for the ninth change in the finance minister since 2020.
-Source: (Reuters/News Agency of Nigeria NAN)
National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), has reiterates its commitment to effective implementation of the Global Compact for Migration.
The Honourable Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, Hon. Dr. Tijani Aliyu Ahmed disclosed this in his opening remark at the just concluded Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) ahead of the 2026 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF).
The event which was held between February 17 and 21 at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos, had the International Organisation for Migration, other international partners, members of the civil society, federal and state government agencies among others in attendance.
Speaking, Dr Tijani extended appreciation to the Federal Government, the United Nations Network on Migration for the sustained technical guidance, institutional support and capacity building provided to Nigeria in the implementation of the Compact.
“I equally acknowledge the invaluable support of the Resident Coordinator’s Office for strengthening system-wide coherence and coordination across the United Nations Country Team and partners in Nigeria.”
He recalled that Nigeria adopted the Global Compact for Migration following its endorsement by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018, and “since then we have demonstrated sustained political will and institutional commitment to its implementation. As a Champion Country, Nigeria has taken deliberate steps to domesticate the principles and objectives of the GCM within our national migration governance framework.
“The recently validated revised National Migration Policy and its integrated Implementation Plan, which doubles as Nigeria’s National GCM Implementation Plan, stand as clear evidence of this alignment between global commitments and national action.”
He added that in preparation for the first IMRF in 2022, Nigeria conducted its inaugural Voluntary National Review in Lagos through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. “The process strengthened coordination among stakeholders and informed Nigeria’s national report, pledge and interventions at IMRF 2022. Building on that foundation, Nigeria convened a second Voluntary National Review in August 2024 in Abuja, structured around Technical Working Groups covering Labour Migration, Migration Data, Border Management, Return, Readmission and Reintegration, and Diaspora Engagement. The outcomes informed Nigeria’s engagement at the regional review and reinforced sustained national monitoring.”
This 2026 Review according to him is required to track progress since the 2024 regional review, assess implementation across the twenty-three objectives of the Compact, and consolidate national priorities, challenges and areas for improvement ahead of IMRF 2026. “Over the next three days, discussions will follow the GCM review template and align with the thematic areas of the IMRF roundtables. Breakout sessions chaired by members of the United Nations Network on Migration and supported by national thematic leads will evaluate progress, identify lessons learned and generate structured talking points to guide Nigeria’s participation at IMRF 2026.
“This consultation also provides an opportunity to stock take Nigeria’s pledges made at IMRF 2022, highlighting achievements, gaps and opportunities for renewed commitment. Furthermore, building on the evidence of impact from Nigeria’s side event at IMRF 2022, preparations are underway for a side event at IMRF 2026 to showcase practical achievements, lessons learned and pathways for strengthening regular migration channels.
“At this juncture, I would like to reiterate the unwavering commitment of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, to the effective implementation of the Global Compact for Migration and to sustaining the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach that underpins this national process.
“We remain deeply appreciative of the consistent support of the International Organization for Migration and other members of the United Nations Network on Migration in strengthening Nigeria’s migration governance efforts. As we prepare for IMRF 2026, we look forward to sustained technical collaboration and partnership to facilitate Nigeria’s effective engagement at the Review Forum and the successful delivery of our proposed side event. Continued cooperation will be critical in transforming commitments into tangible, evidence-based results.”
A bombing at Khadija Al-Kubra mosque on Islamabad’s outskirts killed 31 people and injured at least 169 during Friday prayers. Witnesses described scenes of chaos, with bodies and wounded lying inside the mosque as rescuers transported victims to hospitals. Pakistani authorities and leaders condemned the attack, launched investigations, and called for urgent medical assistance and blood donations.
A devastating bombing struck the Shiite mosque of Khadija Al-Kubra on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, during Friday prayers, leaving at least 31 people dead and 169 others injured, officials said. Police are investigating who wa was behind the explosion, AP reported.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as worshippers were caught in the blast. Television footage and social media posts showed rescuers and residents rushing the wounded to nearby hospitals. Hussain Shah, who was praying in the mosque courtyard, recounted the moment of the attack. “I immediately thought that some big attack has happened,” he said. Entering the mosque, he saw bodies on the carpeted floor and people screaming for help. Shah estimated around 30 bodies inside, while many more were wounded.
Authorities have not received a claim of responsibility for the bombing, though suspicion is expected to fall on militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban or regional affiliates of the Islamic State, which have previously targeted Shiite communities.
Militants in Pakistan often strike security forces and civilians, with recent months seeing a rise in attacks across the country. Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon updated the casualty numbers shortly after the initial reports. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and extended condolences to the victims’ families. “Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said. Sharif ordered a full investigation, saying, “Those who are responsible must be identified and punished.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged hospitals to provide the best possible care for the wounded. Shiite leader Raja Nasir called the attack a serious failure in protecting human life and appealed for blood donations, noting that hospitals were in urgent need. The bombing occurred near an event attended by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Islamabad, several miles from the mosque. Islamabad has previously suffered major attacks, including a 2008 bombing at the Marriott Hotel that killed 63 people. The incident comes days after multiple attacks in Balochistan by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which killed roughly 50 people and prompted security forces to eliminate more than 200 militants.
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