This week on Facing the Future, we got a thorough briefing on the latest Social Security and Medicare Trustees’ Report from Dr. Charles Blahous, a former Public Trustee of both programs and now Senior Research Strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Concord Coalition Chief Economist Steve Robinson, a former Senior Policy Advisor at the Social Security Administration, joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we went from Georgia to Colorado and back to Washington, D.C. as we discussed the upcoming reconciliation bill, a view from the grassroots, and the 2021 Social Security and Medicare Trustees' Report. 

This week on Facing the Future, we took a break from the federal budget but kept our focus on public sector budgeting. States have budgets too and the choices can be just as difficult and just as impactful on constituents as the federal budget. As an example, we examined the New Hampshire state budget with Phil Sletten, Senior Policy Analyst at the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, an independent, non-profit policy research organization in Concord NH, where he has worked since 2016.

This week on Facing the Future, we turned to health care and the brewing controversy over Aduhelm, a new drug for treating Alzheimer's Disease that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Is it effective, will it be covered by Medicare and how much will it cost? We asked Josh Gordon, Director of Health Policy at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Next, we looked at where things stand in Washington as the two parties move from a bipartisan infrastructure bill to a one-party budget resolution.

This week on Facing the Future we heard from Tom Kahn, a veteran Democrat congressional staffer who is concerned that both parties have abandoned fiscal discipline. Concord’s National Field Director Phil Smith joined the conversation. 

This week on Facing the Future we waded into several fast-breaking budget developments in Washington, including the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure plan and the upcoming budget resolution. Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman and Chief Economist Steve Robinson, both Capitol Hill veterans, joined me to  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 talked 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. Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson, who contributed a debt model used in the paper, joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we looked at a subject on the minds of many economists as well as everyday consumers: what’s up with inflation? Are recent sharp increases something to be concerned about and how does it affect our economic future? We also assessed the outlook for jobs, wages and overall economic growth.

This week on Facing the Future we looked 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 talked to Susan Irving, of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we turned our attention to national security. Our guest was Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, author of the new book Waging War in a Time of Peace. We discussed 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 got an update on the economic recovery from Joe Minarik, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board. We also heard about an idea he has for paying off the extra federal debt incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, we welcomed back to the program Concord Coalition Co-Chairs, Bob Kerrey and Jack Danforth. The two former U.S. Senators discussed their recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, titled “How Long Can America Keep Borrowing?” and the value of creating a Centrist Caucus in the Senate. Concord’s policy director Tori Gorman joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, we looked at some longer-term budget and economic issues that are crucial for understanding President Biden’s policy agenda and whether it would fully address the challenges ahead, Joining me for this discussion was Eugene Steuerle of the Urban Institute, one of the nation’s top experts on the budget, economic growth and taxes.

This week on Facing the Future, we took a close look at President Biden’s much-awaited Fiscal Year 2022 federal budget. My first guest was Marc Goldwein, Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Later, I was joined by Steve Robinson, Chief Economist of The Concord Coalition.

This week's guest on Facing the Future was Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-7th). In addition to serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, she Chairs the Blue Dog Coalition's Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility and Government Reform. 

This week on Facing the Future, I talked to EcomonistMom.com blogger Diane Lim about the surprisingly weak April jobs report. Then we turned our attention to President Biden's proposals for the "care economy," including their potential to expand the work force and the political difficulty of raising enough revenue to pay for them.

This week on Facing the Future Tori Gorman and I went to the movies, an appropriate thing to do following the Oscars. We looked at some fiscal policy aspects of an award winning  documentary called UnRepresented, which deals with the influence of money in politics. At the conclusion, I had some observations about the new 2020 U.S. Census data and its implications for future economic growth. It’s not good news.

This week on Facing the Future, former Ambassador and New Hampshire Congressman Richard Swett gave me his thoughts on President Biden’s policy agenda. Then I took a virtual trip to Las Vegas with Concord Coalition National Field Director Phil Smith. We interviewed Jayce Farmer, a professor of public policy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has conducted our budget exercise Principles and Priorities with his mid-career graduate students for the past three years. 

What’s a “skinny budget?” Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman explains on this week’s Facing the Future podcast. We also look a little deeper into the Biden Administration’s expansive definition of “infrastructure” with Concord Coalition Chief Economist Steve Robinson. Rounding out the podcast is a thought provoking conversation with Richard Jackson, President of the Global Aging Institute, about the macro challenges of population aging. Spoiler alert; it goes beyond the budgetary impact.

It was infrastructure week on Facing the Future and we tried to “bridge” the divide between differing perspectives of President Biden’s $2.3 American Jobs Plan. Our guests were Ben Ritz, Director of the Center for Funding America’s Future at the Progressive Policy Institute, and Brian Riedl a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Also joining the conversation was Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman.

President Biden began rolling out his first budget this week and on Facing the Future, we took a look at why it matters and how he might pay for new proposals.

On the latest Facing the Future, we took a wide-ranging tour of the fiscal policy landscape as the Biden Administration prepares to unveil new proposals that media reports indicate could cost $3 trillion or more without offsets. Our tour guide was Jon Lieber, a Capitol Hill veteran of many important budget negotiations who is now Managing Director of the Eurasia Group. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman joined the conversation.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Robert L.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by former Comptroller General of the United States, David M. Walker, Concord Coalition Executive Director, Robert L. Bixby, and Concord’s Policy Director, Tori Gorman.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Robert L. Bixby, Concord's Policy Director, Tori Gorman, and Bill Hoagland, a senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center. We discussed the ongoing reconciliation process.

Also this week, an interview with Hamilton Project Director and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Wendy Edelberg, on COVID-19 relief proposals, which was recorded as part of a recent webinar.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Robert L. Bixby, Concord's Policy Director, Tori Gorman, and former ambassador and immigration attorney, George Bruno. We discussed immigration reform, the ongoing reconciliation process in Congress, and COVID-19 relief.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Robin Abbott, CEO of the New Hampshire Society of CPAs, and Matt DiLoreto, vice president of state government affairs for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Ben Gitis, a senior policy analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Economic Policy Project, Concord Coalition Executive Director, Bob Bixby, and Concord’s Policy Director, Tori Gorman.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Bob Bixby, and Richard Jackson, president of the Global Aging Institute.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Bob Bixby, and former U.S. Senators Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and Jack Danforth (R-MO).

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Bob Bixby, and Gene Dodaro, the Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Bob Bixby, Concord's Policy Director, Tori Gorman, and Director of the Progressive Policy Institute’s Center for Funding America’s Future, Ben Ritz.

On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Bob Bixby, and former Congressman from Minnesota, Tim Penny. We discussed challenges facing the incoming Biden administration and the new Congress as we begin 2021, the importance of long-term fiscal responsibility, and U.S. House of Representatives rules changes that affect PAYGO.