The federal government has a spending problem. Government outlays are out-running tax revenue at an accelerating rate, causing record budget deficits and mounting debt. Raising taxes, as some suggest, is not the answer: the tax increases needed to cover ever-rising government spending would stifle economic growth.

The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse. Thus, members of Congress bear the ultimate responsibility for the spending problem and for its solution. This toolkit provides members and their staffs with tools to help them evaluate spending bills and start the process of reducing government spending