Facing the Future

Mar 06 2025 100 ep. 44 mins 1.1k

Facing the Future Podcast artwork

How the nation’s fiscal and economic challenges, and possible solutions, impact current and future generations.

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Trump’s Balanced Budget Pitch Doesn’t Add Up

Mar 06 2025 44 mins

This week on Facing the Future we talked with former Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux who has been named the new Executive Director of The Concord Coalition. In addition, Bourdeaux will head up Concord Action, a new advocacy organization created to marshal grassroots support for fiscal responsibility. We began by discussing President Trump’s speech on Tuesday night to a joint se

Creating a U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund?

Feb 28 2025 43 mins

This week on Facing the Future, we'll discuss President Trump's executive order laying the groundwork for a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. How would it be funded and what would it invest in? Our guest is Mark Warshawsky, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Real Budget Savings or Mere Illusions?

Feb 20 2025 43 mins

This week on Facing the Future, Concord Coalition Chief Economist Steve Robinson will explain why the House and Senate budget committee resolutions might not result in their promised deficit reduction numbers. We'll also look at claims of massive Social Security fraud. Then, National Field Director Phil Smith gets some insights from volunteer leaders.

Beware of the Bond Vigilantes

Feb 14 2025 44 mins

This week on Facing the Future, we talked about the nation’s budget challenges with Barry Anderson, former Deputy Director for Budget Review at the White House Office of Management and Budget. He also served as Deputy Director and then Acting Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Beyond his work on the U.S. budget, Anderson headed the Budgeting and Public Expenditure

Who Has the Power of the Purse?

Feb 07 2025 44 mins

This week on Facing the Future, we'll look at the debate in Washington over who has the Constitutional "power of the purse." We'll talk with Rachel Snyderman, Managing Director of Economic Policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center and co-author of a new Q&A called "Budget Impoundment 101."

Budget Disciple Requires Political Will

Jan 30 2025 44 mins

This week on Facing the Future, the guest is Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute. She recently testified before the House Budget Committee about the daunting long-term U.S. budget outlook. We'll discuss that testimony and what she thinks is necessary to rein-in the growing debt.

Daunting Debt Projections Greet Trump Administration

Jan 23 2025 44 mins

This week on Facing the Future, we'll look at the new 10-year budget projections from the Congressional Budget Office and why some of President Trump's early executive orders might portend litigation over the Constitutional power of the purse.

Moving Beyond Zombie Rule of the Budget

Jan 17 2025 44 mins

This week on Facing the Future, we heard from Eugene Steuerle of the Urban Institute on why Zombies are in control of the federal budget and what must be done to break their grip on the future. Concord Coalition Chief Economist Steve Robinson joined the conversation. In a new book, “Beyond Zombie Rule: Reclaiming Fiscal Sanity In A Broken Congress,” Steuerle updates an earlier

Republicans Consider Their Budget Options

Jan 09 2025 43 mins

This week on Facing the Future, we discuss the budgetary priorities and procedural hurdles facing the new Republican majority in Congress as they try to quickly enact an ambitious agenda. Our guest is Rohit Kumar, Co-Leader of the National Tax Office at PricewaterhouseCoopers and a former senior advisor to Senate Republican leaders.

What's Up With Healthcare Costs?

Jan 03 2025 44 mins

This week on Facing the Future, we looked back at the fiscal developments of 2024 and looked ahead to 2025. Joining me for the discussion were Concord Coalition Chief Economist Steve Robinson, National Field Director Phil Smith and Digital Media Intern Kyle Duffy. Our special guest star was Chase Hagaman, the original host of Facing the Future who now serves as Economic Development