Facing the Future

This week on Facing the Future we talked with Tom Kahn, a veteran Democrat congressional staffer who is concerned that both parties have abandoned fiscal responsibility. Tom gave us his take on the latest budget battles in Washington. Concord’s National Field Director Phil Smith joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we sort through several fast-breaking budget developments in Washington, including the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure plan and the upcoming budget resolution. Capitol Hill veterans Tori Gorman and Steve Robinson help me examine whether the infrastructure bill is paid for and what clues the budget resolution will give us about the even bigger "reconciliation" bill expected this fall.

This week on Facing the Future we talk with Richard Jackson, President and Founder of the Global Aging Institute, and the author of a timely new paper titled, Why the National Debt Still Matters. The paper explains why it is wishful thinking to believe that America can continue to run up the national debt without placing its future at risk and why current budget projections may greatly understate the future debt burden.

This week on Facing the Future we jump into the inflation debate. Are recent price increases something to be concerned about and how does inflation affect the economic outlook? Our guest is Robert Carroll, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis of the US Treasury Department and currently Co-leader of the Ernst & Young Quantitative Economics and Statistics (QUEST) group. Concord Policy Director Tori Gorman joins the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we’ll look at the nation’s statutory debt limit. What is it? Why doesn’t it work to control the growing debt and are there viable alternatives? To get answers and perspectives, we’ll talk to Susan Irving, of the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  Sue is Senior Advisor to the Comptroller General of the United States and she specializies in federal debt and fiscal issues. Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman joins me for the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we turn to national security. Our guest is Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, author of the new book Waging War in a Time of Peace. We'll discuss his concept of "resolute restraint" and why the economy, including the level of debt, is a national security issue.

This week on Facing the Future, we set sail on uncharted economic waters with Joe Minarik, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board. Joe was Chief Economist at the Office of Management and Budget for all eight years of the Clinton Administration. We discussed the post-pandemic economic recovery and an idea he has for tackling the pandemic debt. Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, Concord Coalition Co-Chairs Bob Kerrey and Jack Danforth discuss their recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, "How Long Can America Keep Borrowing?" They argue that our fiscal challenges are worse than in 1994 when they chaired a bipartisan presidential commission. They also argue that a Senate Centrist Caucus could help forge consensus.

This week on Facing the Future we look at what’s on the minds of swing voters with Rich Thau, President of Engagious, a firm that has been conducting focus groups across the country with people who voted for Trump in 2016 and for Biden in 2020. Then we’ll talk with Concord Coalition Chief Economist Steve Robinson about his new issue brief on the uncertainties of projecting costs for major new programs and why some of the projections in President Biden’s budget might understate the potential costs.

This week on Facing the Future, we look at why it has become so difficult to shift budgetary priorities and why that is a problem for the future. Our guest is Eugene Steuerle of the Urban Institute, author of the book Dead Men Ruling. Then, my Concord Coalition colleagues, Tori Gorman and Steve Robinson, join the show to discuss the politics and economics of a big infrastructure spending package.