Facing the Future

Latest Episodes:

Mark Zandi on the Economy and Corrosive Debt Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody's Analytics, examines the state of the economy, the effect of artificial intelligence and what a debt-induced crisis might look like.

The Debt Moves Closer to $40 Trillion Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we get a status check on the federal deficit and debt from Gordon Gray, Vice President of Budget Analysis at the Peter G Peterson Foundation. Spoiler alert: The debt may hit $40 trillion sooner than anticipated.

Fiscal Policies Have Abandoned the Young and the Working Class Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future we considered how both political parties have deserted the working class, the young and the American Dream. That's the conclusion of our guest Eugene Steuerle in his book Abandoned. Steuerle is an Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute and one of Washington’s most respected experts on the federal budget, tax policy and Social Security.

Delaying Social Security Reform Increases Fiscal and Economic Risks Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Veronique de Rugy and Jason Fichtner explain why Social Security reform is not only a retirement policy imperative but also a fiscal and market-stability imperative. They are the co-authors of a George Mason University Mercatus Center paper titled, "Social Security's Fiscal Gap and the Risk of Bond Market Strain."

The Hard Choices of Health Care Reform Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Joshua Gordon, a Vice President of Health Care at Arnold Ventures, explains why growing health care costs are a challenge for family, business and government budgets. He also suggests some bipartisan cost control ideas.

Deficit Dove Says The National Debt Matters More Than It Used To Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Bobby Kogan of the Center for American Progress explains why the national debt matters more than it used to and why artificial intelligence is not likely to fix the problem.

GAO Warns on the Nation's Fiscal Health Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we hear why the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) is warning the President and Congress that urgent and sustained action is needed to improve the nation's fiscal outlook. Jeff Arkin, Director of Strategic Issues at GAO, is our guest.

Social Security's Turn For The Worse Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Mark Warshawsky of the American Enterprise Institute explains why the projected finances of both Social Security and Medicare were substantially worse in the 2026 trustees report than they were last year and why early action is the best way to prevent sudden cuts.

Big Budget Decisions Require Public Input Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, G. William Hoagland, Senior Vice President of the Bipartisan Policy Center, lays out the case for public engagement on major budget decisions, gives an update on the federal budget and reacts to the new Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports.

Mobilizing the Public on the Deficit and Debt Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, host Bob Bixby joins Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Jonathan Silver of Affinity Solutions and Andrew Lewis of the University of Cincinnati's Portman Center in a panel discussion on strategies for getting the public to put deficit reduction on the political agenda.

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