The Economic Policy Project (EPP) focuses on federal economic and fiscal policy and its ramifications within the larger national economy. Concentrating on federal debt, deficits and budgeting, EPP also works closely with other policy projects at the Bipartisan Policy Center when their issues overlap with federal fiscal matters. Primary activities of EPP are the creation of comprehensive federal budgets, including highly-detailed recommendations for both Congress and other policymaking institutions. In addition, EPP staff analyzes congressional budget proposals, budgets offered by the administration, and technical analyses of legislative procedure and the congressional budget process.

Its most high-profile initiative was the creation of the Debt Reduction Task Force. This 19-member group, co-chaired by former Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici (ret.) and former Office of Management and Budget and Congressional Budget Office Director Dr. Alice Rivlin, produced a multi-year federal budget in November 2010. That proposal became the basis of widespread discussion, both in Congress and in the media and served as a blueprint for future bipartisan budget proposals. EPP also produced the only non-governmental, day-to-day calculation of the 2011 federal debt ceiling timeline. Members of the House and Senate, including leadership requested presentations of EPP’s analysis as the debt ceiling deadline approached. The analysis became widely used by all forms of media. EPP continues to analyze and monitor the debt ceiling.