Bobby Kogan
@bbkogan.bsky.social
Senior Director of Federal Budget Policy for the Center for American Progress doing budget, tax, and econ.
Formerly: Biden OMB, Biden Transition Team, Senate Budget Committee (Murray and Sanders).
CBO and OMB’s biggest fan! Personal account.
Formerly: Biden OMB, Biden Transition Team, Senate Budget Committee (Murray and Sanders).
CBO and OMB’s biggest fan! Personal account.
Pinned
Bobby Kogan
@bbkogan.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Two starter packs from me!
First, for the very few of you who care about it, a budget and tax starter pack!
Please let me know if you should be on this and I missed you!
go.bsky.app/N6Nukd7
First, for the very few of you who care about it, a budget and tax starter pack!
Please let me know if you should be on this and I missed you!
go.bsky.app/N6Nukd7
Doesn’t really matter since it’s all under Trump, but when assessing DOGE’s success, I think it’s important to differentiate between a) Elon’s concept of DOGE as its creator, b) Vought’s desire for control over the entire executive and total destruction of certain things, and c) project 2025 ideas
November 25, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Doesn’t really matter since it’s all under Trump, but when assessing DOGE’s success, I think it’s important to differentiate between a) Elon’s concept of DOGE as its creator, b) Vought’s desire for control over the entire executive and total destruction of certain things, and c) project 2025 ideas
Reposted by Bobby Kogan
Biden granted mercy to most everyone on federal death row before leaving office. Trump retaliated by putting them in some of the harshest conditions of longterm isolation that American prisons can impose.
Another must-read by @laurengill.bsky.social boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
Another must-read by @laurengill.bsky.social boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
Death Row Prisoners Granted Clemency by Biden Brace for "Living Hell" Under Trump - Bolts
Trump officials are retaliating by imposing the harshest conditions in the entire federal prison system, including near total isolation.
boltsmag.org
November 24, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Biden granted mercy to most everyone on federal death row before leaving office. Trump retaliated by putting them in some of the harshest conditions of longterm isolation that American prisons can impose.
Another must-read by @laurengill.bsky.social boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
Another must-read by @laurengill.bsky.social boltsmag.org/death-row-cl...
A while back, a handful of ancient eulogies went viral. I saved a bunch and now they popped up in my phone memories. Here were the three that stood out most to me.
November 24, 2025 at 7:11 PM
A while back, a handful of ancient eulogies went viral. I saved a bunch and now they popped up in my phone memories. Here were the three that stood out most to me.
It’s because congressional Republicans want the enhanced subsidies to expire. That’s why they didn’t extend them in OBBBA, and that’s why they kept calling them a “December problem” even though open enrollment began on November 1.
November 24, 2025 at 6:36 PM
It’s because congressional Republicans want the enhanced subsidies to expire. That’s why they didn’t extend them in OBBBA, and that’s why they kept calling them a “December problem” even though open enrollment began on November 1.
im sorry, so they want to court martial someone for repeating the code of conduct? be fucking for real right now.
November 24, 2025 at 5:57 PM
im sorry, so they want to court martial someone for repeating the code of conduct? be fucking for real right now.
Reposted by Bobby Kogan
Trump didn’t read before posting:
“OUR AMERICAN CODE OF MILITARY OBEDIENCE REQUIRES THAT, SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
“OUR AMERICAN CODE OF MILITARY OBEDIENCE REQUIRES THAT, SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
November 24, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Trump didn’t read before posting:
“OUR AMERICAN CODE OF MILITARY OBEDIENCE REQUIRES THAT, SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
“OUR AMERICAN CODE OF MILITARY OBEDIENCE REQUIRES THAT, SHOULD ORDERS AND THE LAW EVER CONFLICT, OUR OFFICERS MUST OBEY THE LAW.”
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
me trying real hard to parse “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!” in literally any way other than an obvious call to execute your political opponents
November 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM
me trying real hard to parse “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!” in literally any way other than an obvious call to execute your political opponents
Parse the language? It was like 5 words!
Mike Johnson on Trump calling for Democrats to be executed: "Attorneys have to parse the language and determine all that."
November 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Parse the language? It was like 5 words!
“Potentially divisive”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
November 20, 2025 at 7:26 PM
“Potentially divisive”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
The Republican plan to reduce the deficit is to cut taxes. It didn’t work this time. It didn’t work last time. It weirdly also didn’t work the time before that. But I’ve got a good feeling about next time.
November 20, 2025 at 6:13 PM
The Republican plan to reduce the deficit is to cut taxes. It didn’t work this time. It didn’t work last time. It weirdly also didn’t work the time before that. But I’ve got a good feeling about next time.
vaccines are truly one of the most incredible things in all of human history. we founds ways to literally defeat communicable deadly diseases at almost no cost & at no harm to ourselves
and a guy whose brain was literally partially eaten by a worm is working to undermine that and get people killed
and a guy whose brain was literally partially eaten by a worm is working to undermine that and get people killed
November 20, 2025 at 5:16 AM
vaccines are truly one of the most incredible things in all of human history. we founds ways to literally defeat communicable deadly diseases at almost no cost & at no harm to ourselves
and a guy whose brain was literally partially eaten by a worm is working to undermine that and get people killed
and a guy whose brain was literally partially eaten by a worm is working to undermine that and get people killed
“It’s a December problem”
November 19, 2025 at 4:47 PM
“It’s a December problem”
Why would the Epstein buddy president go out of his way to help sex trafficker Andrew Tate? Guess some mysteries are unsolvable.
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show. Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.
www.propublica.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Why would the Epstein buddy president go out of his way to help sex trafficker Andrew Tate? Guess some mysteries are unsolvable.
What can we even say? The president who tried to stay in power after he lost and uses the judiciary to punish enemies and reward allies pals around with dictators because he wishes he were one.
![Trump, sitting next to MBS in the Oval, says Khashoggi was "extremely controversial" and that "a lot of people didn't like that gentleman." He chides a reporter for "embarrass[ing]" MBS by asking about it. Trump earlier called MBS an
"extremely respected man."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:drfb2pdjlnsqkfgsoellcahm/bafkreiaznwvv3bzrzmljxywuthwqpgrg2exao4fccuyknpavt3czue2g5u@jpeg)
November 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
What can we even say? The president who tried to stay in power after he lost and uses the judiciary to punish enemies and reward allies pals around with dictators because he wishes he were one.
Wow thank you President Trump, Sir, for removing those moronic tariffs. I can’t believe we even had them in the first place. You’d have to be an idiot to think they were a good idea to begin with.
Anyway, no way of figuring out who instituted them originally. Lost in time, like tears in rain.
Anyway, no way of figuring out who instituted them originally. Lost in time, like tears in rain.
November 17, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Wow thank you President Trump, Sir, for removing those moronic tariffs. I can’t believe we even had them in the first place. You’d have to be an idiot to think they were a good idea to begin with.
Anyway, no way of figuring out who instituted them originally. Lost in time, like tears in rain.
Anyway, no way of figuring out who instituted them originally. Lost in time, like tears in rain.
Reposted by Bobby Kogan
I wish I could take credit for the phrase "new heights of flouting" but that came from the team at @theunpopulist.net who gave me the space for this take on the current landscape of congressional vs. executive power over spending. www.theunpopulist.net/p/founders-w...
Founders Would Be Horrified by Congress's Surrender of its Power of the Purse to POTUS
The shutdown is testimony to how a subservient legislature makes governance dysfunctional
www.theunpopulist.net
November 13, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I wish I could take credit for the phrase "new heights of flouting" but that came from the team at @theunpopulist.net who gave me the space for this take on the current landscape of congressional vs. executive power over spending. www.theunpopulist.net/p/founders-w...
The president pardons and rewards the people who commit crimes for him, and that is the message these people have gotten over and over again.
November 17, 2025 at 4:03 PM
The president pardons and rewards the people who commit crimes for him, and that is the message these people have gotten over and over again.
Reposted by Bobby Kogan
The Founders were so concerned about bribery that the Constitution forbids it three separate times. Two emoluments clauses ban officials—unambiguously including the president—from accepting things of value, plus bribery is the only named impeachable offense besides treason.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
To negotiate a trade deal with the President of the United States, the Swiss government arrived with a "special Rolex desktop clock" and "a 1-kilogram personalized gold bar"
www.axios.com/2025/11/14/t...
www.axios.com/2025/11/14/t...
How to lobby Trump with Swiss precision: gifts, gold and gab
How the Swiss broke a diplomatic logjam on tariffs by arriving with tributes fit for a king.
www.axios.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:50 PM
The Founders were so concerned about bribery that the Constitution forbids it three separate times. Two emoluments clauses ban officials—unambiguously including the president—from accepting things of value, plus bribery is the only named impeachable offense besides treason.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
The most consistent theme of the Trump presidency is using the power of the state to reward allies and harm enemies.
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
November 15, 2025 at 6:28 PM
The most consistent theme of the Trump presidency is using the power of the state to reward allies and harm enemies.
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
-Pardons for allies
-DOJ drops charges against allies, brings charges against enemies
-Merger requests accepted for allies, denied for enemies
-Grants awarded for allies, denied and
The “Carter invented shutdowns” folklore isn’t true.
Prior to Carter, sometimes agencies largely stopped doing new work, sometimes they continued work — extremely illegally.
The Civiletti memo rightly acknowledged that most of that work was illegal & created a new method, also illegal, but less so
Prior to Carter, sometimes agencies largely stopped doing new work, sometimes they continued work — extremely illegally.
The Civiletti memo rightly acknowledged that most of that work was illegal & created a new method, also illegal, but less so
November 13, 2025 at 8:38 PM
The “Carter invented shutdowns” folklore isn’t true.
Prior to Carter, sometimes agencies largely stopped doing new work, sometimes they continued work — extremely illegally.
The Civiletti memo rightly acknowledged that most of that work was illegal & created a new method, also illegal, but less so
Prior to Carter, sometimes agencies largely stopped doing new work, sometimes they continued work — extremely illegally.
The Civiletti memo rightly acknowledged that most of that work was illegal & created a new method, also illegal, but less so
In 1790, average compensation was 2 pennies per hour or roughly 333 per month, so it made sense to mint pennies.
Average compensation now is over 3700 pennies per hour, more than 600,000 per month.
Average compensation now is over 3700 pennies per hour, more than 600,000 per month.
November 13, 2025 at 4:16 PM
In 1790, average compensation was 2 pennies per hour or roughly 333 per month, so it made sense to mint pennies.
Average compensation now is over 3700 pennies per hour, more than 600,000 per month.
Average compensation now is over 3700 pennies per hour, more than 600,000 per month.
Like, House Ds and Rs are doing the Gimli/Legolas meme against their true enemy: the Senate
It is genuinely kind of endearing how much the two chambers hate each other
November 12, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Like, House Ds and Rs are doing the Gimli/Legolas meme against their true enemy: the Senate
It is genuinely kind of endearing how much the two chambers hate each other
November 12, 2025 at 11:55 PM
It is genuinely kind of endearing how much the two chambers hate each other
The method Senate Rs used to enact deficits in OBBBA could be used to release the Epstein files in reconciliation.
Have the presiding officer assert there’s no point of order, and have 51 votes sustain the ruling of the chair.
Bonus points if you hide from the parls before to avoid her guidance.
Have the presiding officer assert there’s no point of order, and have 51 votes sustain the ruling of the chair.
Bonus points if you hide from the parls before to avoid her guidance.
November 12, 2025 at 10:42 PM
The method Senate Rs used to enact deficits in OBBBA could be used to release the Epstein files in reconciliation.
Have the presiding officer assert there’s no point of order, and have 51 votes sustain the ruling of the chair.
Bonus points if you hide from the parls before to avoid her guidance.
Have the presiding officer assert there’s no point of order, and have 51 votes sustain the ruling of the chair.
Bonus points if you hide from the parls before to avoid her guidance.