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Raymond Scheppach

Professor of Public Policy, University of Virginia
Dr. Ray Scheppach retired as the executive director of the National Governors Association (NGA) in March 2011, a post he held since 1983. He is currently a professor of public policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Prior to his position at NGA, Dr. Scheppach worked for seven years at the Congressional Budget Office, serving the last two years as deputy director. Previous to that, he worked for seven years in economic consulting and two years as an economist with the Standard Oil Company (Ohio).

Under his leadership, NGA became one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, ranked 12th by Fortune magazine in its 1999 annual survey of the most influential trade associations, labor unions, and interest groups. As an advocate for federalism, Dr. Scheppach has testified before Congress on behalf of the nation’s governors on numerous occasions.

GOP shutdown threat is the wrong way to win a budget war − history shows a better strategy for reducing the deficit

Sep 28, 2023 02:44 am UTC| Politics

Congress has just days to keep the federal government from grinding to a halt, and a last-minute deal seems increasingly unlikely. The problem is that lawmakers need to pass a dozen appropriations bills or a single...

Central Banking Series

A brief history of debt ceiling crises and the political chaos they've unleashed

May 14, 2023 05:10 am UTC| Economy

There have been numerous fiscal crises in the United States where Congress has either failed to pass a budget on time or there were doubts that the federal debt ceiling would be raised, which could cause the U.S. to...

Why states didn't go broke from the pandemic

May 09, 2021 10:08 am UTC| Economy

During the summer of 2020, there were many news reports about the impending state fiscal crisis due to the pandemic. A July 7 article on CNBC with the headline Cuts to basic services loom as coronavirus ravages local...

Who wants to be a governor now?

Apr 13, 2020 03:36 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Governors Have the Best Political Jobs in America is the name of one of my lectures in a leadership course I occasionally teach at the University of Virginia. In that class, I describe how governors have huge...

Economy

Gold Prices Rise as Hormuz Tensions Fuel Inflation Risks

Gold prices moved higher on Thursday, recovering from their lowest level since early August as renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz increased concerns over energy supplies and inflation. Expectations that the...

Oil Prices Rise as Gulf Hurricane and Middle East Supply Risks Mount

Oil prices climbed on Thursday as traders assessed potential supply disruptions from a strengthening storm along the U.S. Gulf Coast and persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures for December...

US-Led Coalition Targets Global Factory Overcapacity

Trade ministers from 12 G20 nations, the European Union and Poland have backed a US-led initiative aimed at tackling structural excess factory capacity and trade-distorting policies that contribute to global...

Mike Rogers Calls for End to US-Canada Tariff War

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is calling for an immediate end to the US-Canada tariff dispute, distancing himself from President Donald Trump on another major policy issue ahead of next months election....

Bangladesh GDP Growth Accelerates to 4.6% on Industrial Rebound

Bangladeshs economy recorded a sharp acceleration in growth during the April-June quarter, supported by a strong recovery in industrial activity and steady expansion in the services sector, even as agriculture lost...

Politics

US Pressures Allies to Distance From Anti-Disinformation Conference

The US State Department urged Canada and European allies to distance themselves from an anti-disinformation conference after organizers included a panel examining whether the United States poses an information manipulation...

Hegseth Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew After Record Iran War Deployment

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday as the aircraft carrier completed an extended wartime deployment marked by intense combat operations and concerns over crew...

Tsai Warns of China’s Sustained Pressure on Taiwan

Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen warned a U.S. audience on Wednesday that China is maintaining sustained pressure on Taiwan through military, cyber and economic activities designed to reshape the islands security...

Trump Backs Florida Golf Course as Presidential Retreat

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed a proposal to transform part of his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course into a secure presidential retreat similar to Camp David. Its a great idea, and it will be used a...

Saudi Airport Attacks Kill Three as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Three people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia as escalating fighting between Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces threatens regional aviation and key shipping...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Tencent Shares Fall as $5 Billion AI Bond Sale Weighed

Tencent Holdings (HK:0700) shares declined on Thursday following reports that the Chinese technology giant is exploring a potential offshore bond offering worth up to $5 billion to support its growing artificial...

Elon Musk Accuses Indian Telecom Giants of Blocking Starlink Launch

Elon Musk has accused powerful telecommunications companies in India of obstructing SpaceXs Starlink satellite internet launch, raising concerns about competition and regulatory barriers in one of the worlds largest...

Solidigm Taps Goldman, Morgan Stanley for $10 Billion US IPO

SK hynixs U.S. flash-memory subsidiary Solidigm has reportedly selected Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as lead underwriters for a planned initial public offering that could raise around $10 billion. Bloomberg News...

Samsung Q3 Profit Hits Record High on AI Memory Demand

Samsung Electronics forecast its strongest-ever third-quarter operating profit as booming artificial intelligence demand continued to fuel sales of advanced memory chips, although earnings landed slightly below the higher...

Broadcom, Oracle and SpaceX Seek Billions in Private Debt for AI Expansion

Major artificial intelligence companies are increasingly turning to private debt markets to finance tens of billions of dollars in AI chips and data center infrastructure, as traditional funding sources struggle to keep...