2015 was chock full of defining moments. The US reached a nuclear deal with Iran, gay marriage became the law of the land, and 196 countries approved the first ever global deal to limit greenhouse gas emissions.\u00a0But this year also brought darker tidings: spurred by January\u2019s violence at Charlie Hebdo and December\u2019s in San Bernardino, calls for American “boots on the ground” grew to a fever pitch. Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s $43 million Pentagon gas station in Afghanistan demonstrated that our government is as misguided as ever when it comes to our priorities.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, here are five things you can expect to make big news in 2016:<\/p>\n
The 2016 presidential race has been heating up all year, with candidates debating in eight debates on critical issues ranging from ISIS to campaign finance to spending on Social Security. In 2016, we\u2019ll be bringing you updated voter\u2019s guides<\/a> to make sure you can make informed decisions at the polls and making sure you know how federal spending being discussed by candidates affects your state<\/a>. We\u2019ll make sure that any time the candidates are \u2013 or are not \u2013 talking about major federal budget issues, you hear about it.<\/p>\n In 2015, we heard a lot of stories about how the Pentagon wasted millions on private villas<\/a>and millions more on a gas station<\/a>. While every other federal agency is required to complete an audit every year, the Pentagon has no such requirement, so we can\u2019t always be sure it\u2019s spending your tax dollars efficiently. In 2016, as always, we\u2019ll be keeping an eye out for how the Pentagon spends its budget and highlighting any mismanagement. We\u2019ll also keep our\u00a0cost of national security figures<\/a> up to date so you have up-to-the-minute info on how much we are spending on the Pentagon, war, and more. Every dollar misspent by the Pentagon is a dollar that\u2019s not being used to create opportunity and investment here at home. We\u2019ll also provide you with lots of options in our updated trade-offs tool<\/a> so you can reallocate spending how you see fit.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s face it: our tax code is rigged to favor corporations and the wealthy. The recent tax deal<\/a>\u00a0passed by Congress had a major win for low- and middle-income families by continuing expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, but it also made permanent major tax breaks for corporations. In 2016, you can count on us to tell you how your tax dollars are spent<\/a>, and how much revenue we lose from tax breaks<\/a> in the tax code (more than $1 trillion<\/em> each year). We\u2019ll also be sure to keep you apprised of any tax developments in Congress.<\/p>\n Back in October, the president announced<\/a> that the U.S. would send troops to Syria in an advisory role. We\u2019ve heard it before. U.S. troops were deployed to Iraq last year in a so-called advisory role, yet the Pentagon announced a recent US combat death just days before the president\u2019s announcement. Operations against ISIS are a slippery slope. As of today, the US has spent nearly $7.5 billion<\/a> on operations against ISIS, and costs will only rise with troops on the ground. We\u2019ve already spent more than $1.6 trillion<\/em> on war overall since 2001. We\u2019ll be tracking any new developments on operations against ISIS and championing smarter alternatives to war.<\/p>\n It\u2019s increasingly difficult to join the middle class in America without a decent education \u2013 and it\u2019s only getting harder. The rising cost of higher education is prohibitive for many students and their families. So is the cost of early childhood education<\/a>, making it difficult for children, especially those in low-income households, to benefit from preschool. In 2016, we\u2019ll be taking on issues of access and inequality education head on by highlighting how the federal budget can rectify them.<\/p>\n2. Pentagon Spending and Waste<\/h2>\n
3. Taxes and Tax Breaks<\/h2>\n
4. ISIS and Terrorism<\/h2>\n
5. Federal Education Spending<\/h2>\n