Facing the Future

Latest Episodes:

Is Trump Repeating Biden's Mistakes? May 20, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future we’ll discuss developments on Capitol Hill as Republicans try to pass what is now officially called, the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Our guest is Ben Ritz, Vice President of Policy Development at the Progressive Policy Institute and Director of PPI’s Center for Funding America’s Future. Concord Coalition Executive Director Carolyn Bourdeaux joins the conversation.

House Republicans Show Their Cards on the Tax Bill May 14, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Marc Goldwein, Senior Vice President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, guides us through the tax cut bill rolled out by House Ways and Means Committee Republicans. We'll discuss how big it is, whether it's good tax policy and will it be paid for?

As Students Tackle the Debt, Congress Blinks May 08, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we'll talk with students who participated in the annual collegiate fiscal challenge, a competition that seeks to stabilize the debt and economy. Then, Carolyn Bourdeaux and I assess President Trump's "skinny budget" and check in on reconciliation in Congress.

Assessing the Risks of Rising Debt May 01, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future we'll assess the risks and costs of rising federal debt with Ben Harris, vice president and director of Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution. We’ll also get his take on congressional negotiations over a major spending and tax bill and whether the economy is headed for a recession.

High Tariffs Are High Risk Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future the guest is Alex Durante, senior economist at the Tax Foundation. We'll discuss the economic effects of President Trump's tariffs and whether Republicans in Congress can find a way to extend about $4 trillion worth of expiring tax cuts without adding it all to the debt.

Budget Gimmicks Don't Fool the Economy Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, Jessica Riedl, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joined me to discuss her list of the top 10 federal budget gimmicks and the potential for tariffs to raise revenues, harm the economy or both.

As we went through Riedl’s list of budget gimmicks, it was clear that many of them are in play this year. She mentioned, for example, “fake expiration dates” and using a “current policy” baseline. A key feature of the recently passed congressional budget resolution is the use of a current policy baseline to assume that extending the expiration date of the 2017 tax cuts will have no budgetary effect.

No Simple Solutions for Unsustainable Debt Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future our guest was Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the bicameral Joint Economic Committee. He gave us his perspective on what it will take to get the U.S. fiscal house in order, why the budget and the economy are intricately intertwined, and why it is so important to act before a crisis hits.

We also got his candid take on this year's Congressional budget process, which he said "shows the level of perversity there is on telling the truth about the math.” Concord Coalition Executive Director Carolyn Bourdeaux joined the conversation.

Bonus Episode: Full Interview with Rep. Schweikert (R-AZ) Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we are joined early in the week by David Schweikert, United States Representative from AZ-01. Concord Coalition Executive Director Carolyn Bourdeax joins the show to discuss the latest on the budget, deficit, and more with Representative Schweikert.

U.S. Debt is Headed for Record Level Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we'll talk with Phillip Swagel, Director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget office (CBO). He'll discuss the CBO's 2025 Long-Term Budget Outlook, which makes 30-year projections under current law. There is a lot of debt involved.

The Federal Budget Lacks Fiscal Sanity Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

This week on Facing the Future, we'll talk with James Capretta, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and author of a recent paper called “Budgeting for Fiscal Sanity.” We’ll ask him how Congress should do that and we’ll also discuss some of the controversies over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

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