As the NCAA kicks off its annual men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, Washington continues its own version of March Madness. Rather than 68 schools ranging from unexpected conference winners to blue blooded power houses, it’s a seemingly endless field of seasoned and fresh competitors vying for lawmakers’ attention. At TCS we figured we’d look in our crystal ball and winnow down the field to the final four. We aren’t saying these four are the most deserving, but they certainly are four of the most favored to affect your tax dollars.

In what has become a nearly annual occurrence, the Presidential Budget Request Phantoms are here again. Or, more accurately, they aren’t. Nearly seven weeks after the statutory deadline for submitting a budget request, the President still hasn’t accepted his invite to the Big Dance. This is important because a budget request lays out the philosophy for the annual spending process. Congress needs it to ensure we have the proper resources and pieces to implement an offensive and defensive spending strategy in the $7.5 trillion federal budget. Knowing what assets are in house, what we need to recruit (revenue to raise or programs to create), grilling the assistants (agency secretaries), and getting the whole Congressional and Executive team, if not in agreement, at least reading off the same playbook can’t happen until there is a request. Every day without a request is another day we play from behind. And that matters when we’re up against the perennial powerhouse Debilitating Deficits University (DDU).  

The Avalanchers of DDU are the bluest of blue bloods, making their 25th consecutive appearance, having last “missed” this fiscal tournament due to a surplus in FY2001. And while they immediately revived their program through transfers in the first Bush Tax Cut, farm bill, and spending in response to 9/11, there’s no amount of play design that can disguise the increasing size of annual deficits. The deficit is projected to be $1.9 trillion this year. It’s forecast to stay above $1.7 trillion annually for the next 10 years. The game plan of perennially increasing spending while repeatedly cutting revenues has failed to deliver a win for taxpayers. Yet lawmakers seem intent on running this same lineup onto the court. Instead, Congress should try implementing a fiscal commission that can come up with spending and revenue recommendations that reduce the deficit. Or imposing some discipline on themselves by showing up to practice and doing their jobs. You can’t cut corners when it comes to cutting the deficit. It takes hard work and a willingness to make tough decisions. Taxpayers need a full court press to tackle the deficit or else DDU, backed by its $39 trillion endowment of debt, will soon consume nearly all of Washington’s attention.

Despite a relatively poor performance this season, the Tycoons out of Tariff Tech punched their ticket. A pre-season pick by the president, the Tycoons have stumbled of late. The biggest was the technical foul the Supreme Court called by finding that implementing tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was unconstitutional. Despite this, the Tariff Tycoons earn an at-large bid because the president is such a fan. Tariffs have been proposed to lead a resurgence in manufacturing, solve the deficit, fund a farmer bailout, and even potentially eliminate the income tax. Just like school loyalty can spoil a fan’s bracket, the president’s love of tariffs is spoiling our trade, tax, and economic policies. In an interwoven global economy, tariffs can’t be a tool of first resort. When used selectively they can be effective, say at enforcing trade deals or as part of countering unfair trade practices. But when the game has evolved to include a three-point line, zone defense, and dunks, the granny shot of fiscal policy can’t be the sole plan of action.

Then there are the War Hawks. This team has plenty of fire power, but not much of a game plan. With President Trump as its coach, the Secretary of Defense (err War) as its point guard, and countless congressional cheerleaders, the War Hawks have launched an offensive that isn’t going to plan, if there ever was a plan.

In all seriousness though, we wrote in last week’s Wastebasket about the mounting costs of the Iran war, and the need for Congress to reclaim its war powers by asserting its power of the purse. In the interim, the human and taxpayer costs have continued to mount, and the Pentagon has reportedly sent a supplemental war funding request to the White House for $200 billion, equal to 20% of the entire Pentagon’s annual budget. That’s an amount that suggests the Pentagon is either trying to pad its already-massive budget, or that the war or wars may be far from over.

Taxpayers deserve clear answers on the justifications, goals, strategies, and costs of this war, and it’s up to Congress to demand them. As for the prospect of supplemental war funding Congress should reject it because a) the Pentagon already has a $153 billion slush fund from last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and b) Congress has not authorized this war.

Tournament season is an exciting time filled with high drama, heartbreak, and glory. When it comes to managing taxpayer dollars, however, we need lawmakers focused more on sound fundamentals and less on flash. It’s time to end the budgetary madness in March.