Facing the Future

Latest Episodes:

What Do The Elections Mean For The Budget? Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Capitol Hill budget experts Bill Hoagland of the Bipartisan Policy Center and Tom Kahn of American University join Concord Coalition executive director Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux and host Bob Bixby to discuss how the midterm elections could affect the budget and the economy.

Social Security Reform Can Grow The Economy Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future Dr. Kent Smetters, faculty director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, describes various reform options from differing political perspectives that can maintain trust fund solvency, improve the budget outlook and grow the economy.

Is Congress Up To The Fiscal Challenge? Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Dr. Phillip Joyce of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy describes the substantive, procedural and Constitutional fiscal challenges that Congress has repeatedly kicked down the road.

Is France a Fiscal Warning for the U.S.? Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President of the American Action Forum, explains why problems in France's bond market carry a warning for the U.S. He also argues that the Federal Reserve should keep raising interest rates to fight inflation.

Debt is an Affordability Issue Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Ben Ritz of the Progressive Policy Institute explains why the rising national debt has become a big cost-of-living problem.

Debating Social Security's Future Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we discuss two very different visions of how to keep Social Security solvent over the long-term without a bailout from the U.S. Treasury. Wendell Primus of the Brookings Institution and Romina Boccia of the Cato Institute debate the options.

Is There a Fiscal Doomsday? Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we hear from a prominent group of former elected officials and economists who describe what a debt-induced fiscal crisis would look like in the United States, what could trigger such an event and how to avoid one.

Dividend Checks With No Dividend Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we discussed President Trump's promise of $5,000 checks, tariff income, war spending and the economy with Jim Capretta, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

The Bond Market Is Sending A Warning On Debt Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, explains why the cost of borrowing is going up and the implications of higher interest rates for families, businesses and the federal budget. She also discusses inflation, tariffs and Social Security reform.

Walking on a Fragile Fiscal Cliff Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, former CBO director Doug Elmendorf discusses the $40 trillion debt and why it matters now, not just in the future. He also gives his assessment of what artificial intelligence could mean for the economy and the federal budget.

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