Episodes

52 minutes ago
What's Behind the Greenland Pitch?
52 minutes ago
52 minutes ago
This week on Facing the Future, we talked with Richard Swett, former U.S. Congressman from New Hampshire and Ambassador to Denmark. He discussed President Trump's desire to acquire Greenland from Denmark and why it's vital to restore trust in government.

7 days ago
The Budget is Big, but is it Beautiful?
7 days ago
7 days ago
This week on Facing the Future we focused on the One Big Beautiful Bill that has now passed the House and is headed to the Senate. Our guest was Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President of the American Action Forum and former Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). We also discussed interest rates, tariffs and budget scoring.

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

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

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

Thursday May 01, 2025
Assessing the Risks of Rising Debt
Thursday May 01, 2025
Thursday May 01, 2025
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.

Thursday Apr 24, 2025
High Tariffs Are High Risk
Thursday Apr 24, 2025
Thursday Apr 24, 2025
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.

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

Thursday Apr 10, 2025
No Simple Solutions for Unsustainable Debt
Thursday Apr 10, 2025
Thursday Apr 10, 2025
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.

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