The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a think tank formed in 1981 to analyze federal budget issues and their impact on Americans. The group claims to pursue “federal and state policies designed both to reduce poverty and inequality and to restore fiscal responsibility in equitable and effective ways.” ¹

Background

In the 1990s, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) work broadened in its scope as the federal government shifted more responsibility over low-income policy to the states. The CBPP expanded to work on low-income programs and budget priorities at the state level, collaborating with more than 40 members of the State Priorities Partnership, of which the CBPP coordinates. ¹ According to its website, the State Priorities Partnership’s goal is “reducing inequality and fighting poverty by making sure states have the resources they need through an accountable budget process.” ²

The CBPP alleges to be nonpartisan in its research and reporting, ¹ though the group has been previously accused of advocating left-of-center budgetary and economic policy positions. A 2014 Inside Philanthropy article written by David Callahan claimed “No think tank commands more respect among liberal policy wonks and Capitol Hill Democrats than the D.C-based Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. ³ The group also receives financial support from several left-of-center organizations and labor unions. ⁴

Activities

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) was allegedly a major contributor to, and supporter of, then-President Barack Obama’s healthcare policy agenda. ⁵ The CBPP was reportedly influential in organizing local and state initiatives on healthcare reform. ⁶

The CBPP initially opposed the George W. Bush administration’s tax cuts of 2001 but later attempted to aid low-income families in taking advantage of the expanded child-care tax credit. ⁷ The CBPP also opposed President Bill Clinton’s efforts to enact bipartisan welfare reform, predicting 1 million Americans would become impoverished. ⁷

Controversy

In 2011, research from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) claimed any deficits that would occur within the upcoming decade would occur due to two previous tax cuts, the 2008 global recession, previous economic bailouts, international conflict, and potential economic stimulus. In response, right-of-center publication The Daily Signal released an article claiming the CBPP’s research “methodology failed statistics 101” and that its reporting favored advocacy from similar left-of-center organizations.⁸ Further in 2011, Megan McArdle, then of The Atlantic, called the charts a “dog-whistle where we pick out the programs we don’t like and show that without them, things wouldn’t be so bad!” McArdle noted that the CBPP labeled a large section of the deficit as “Bush-Era Tax Cuts” when the effect of those cuts was much smaller. ⁹

The CBPP has criticized the right-of-center group American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), arguing that ALEC’s annual “Rich States, Poor States” report on state-by-state economic freedom pushes policies that benefit businesses and investors at the expense of middle- and lower-income earners. In response,  ALEC released an article claiming,  “In numerous studies, the consensus of academic experts shows that economic opportunity is best advanced by a competitive tax policy and an efficient government that provides core public services — not a high-tax, ever-growing government.” ¹⁰

Leadership

Sharon Parrott is the president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), succeeding Robert Greenstein, who founded CBPP in 1981 and served as its president until he stepped down at the end of 2020. Parrott initially worked at the Center from 1993 through August 2009 as the Director of the Welfare Reform and Income Support Division. After departing the center for the first time, Parrott worked under then-Secretary Sebelius’ in the first Obama administration as Counselor for Human Services Policy at HHS from August 2009 until November 2012. Parrott then rejoined the Center working from 2012 to 2014 as Vice President for Budget Policy and Economic Opportunity, only to depart the Center for the second time to serve in a role at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the latter half of the second Obama administration. Parrott rejoined the Center for a second time in 2017 serving as Center’s Senior Vice President for Federal Policy and Program Development. ^{11 12}

Kenneth Apfel is the chair of the board of directors for CBPP as of 2025. Apfel is a Professor of the Practice Emeritus at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and served as the former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (Clinton Administration), former Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and former Professor of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. ¹³

Robert Greenstein is the founder and President Emeritus of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Greenstein previously served as administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Jimmy Carter. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Greenstein to serve on the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform. Greenstein also led the federal budget policy component on President Obama’s transition team following the 2008 election. ¹⁴

Funding

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has received funding from several left-of-center organizations including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.⁷

CBPP has also funded local and state-level initiatives and organizations including the American Immigration Council, the California Budget Project, Kansas Action for Children, and Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. ¹⁵

According to forms filed with the Department of Labor, in 2015 CBPP received funds from the AFL-CIO, Change to Win, and Unite Here Local 25.¹⁶

Finances

According to its 2023 990 form, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reported a revenue of $32,208,552, expenses of $44,312,883, and total assets of $163,943,457. ¹⁷

1. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. About the Center page. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.cbpp.org/about/mission-history
2. State Priorities Partnership: About page. Accessed December 1, 2016  http://statepriorities.org/about/
3. Callahan, David. “Will Atlantic’s Big Bet on the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities Pay Off?” Inside Philanthropy. July 30, 2014. Accessed March 21, 2017. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2014/7/30/will-atlantics-big-bet-on-the-center-for-budget-and-policy-p.html
4. Prokop, Andrew. “The Democracy Alliance: How a secretive group of donors helps set the progressive agenda.” Vox. November 24, 2014. Accessed December 5, 2016. http://www.vox.com/2014/11/24/7274819/democracy-alliance
5. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. About the Center page. Accessed November 30, 2016. http://www.cbpp.org/about/mission-history
6. Guidestar: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities profile. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.guidestar.org/profile/52-1234565
7. Pearlstein, Steven. “A Powerhouse for the Poor.” May 4, 2007. Accessed December 5, 2016. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302036.html
8. Riedl, Brian. “Liberal Think Tank Fails Statistics.” May 13, 2011. Accessed December 2, 2016 http://dailysignal.com/2011/05/13/liberal-think-tank-fails-statistics/
9. McArdle, Megan. “The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Thinks We’re Still in the Bush Era.” July 12, 2011. Accessed December 2, 2016. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/07/the-center-on-budget-and-policy-priorities-thinks-were-still-in-the-bush-era/241805/
10. “Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Long On Opinion, Short On Research.” February 20, 2013. Accessed December 2, 2016. https://www.alec.org/article/center-on-budget-and-policy-priorities-long-on-opinion-short-on-research/
11. “Sharon Parrott – President.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Accessed July 14, 2025, https://www.cbpp.org/about/our-staff/sharon-parrott.
12. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Robert Greenstein biography. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.cbpp.org/robert-greenstein
13. “Board and Founder.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Accessed July 14, 2025, https://www.cbpp.org/about/board.
14. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Robert Greenstein biography. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.cbpp.org/robert-greenstein
15. Guidestar: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities IRS 990 form. Accessed December 5, 2016. http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2014/521/234/2014-521234565-0be6481f-9.pdf
16. Author’s analysis of query returns from the Office of Labor-Management Standards Payer/Payee query tool of the OLMS database of Annual Reports of a Labor Organization (Form LM-2). Queries conducted March 21, 2017.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 2023. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521234565/202403199349300435/full