Facing the Future

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

The Debt is the Threat

This week on Facing the Future, former U. S. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) discussed why the nation's debt is on an unsustainable path and what needs to be done about it. 

09-24
44:57

The Economic Impact of Artificial Intelligence

This week on Facing the Future, Dr. Kent Smetters, Faculty Director of the Penn-Wharton Budget Model discussed a new report on the potential economic and budgetary impact of generative AI. He also described an illustrative package of tax and spending reforms to reduce future budget deficits and grow the economy.

09-17
44:51

Government Shutdown Looms

This week on Facing the Future, Rachel Snyderman and Caleb Quakenbush of the Bipartisan Policy Center discuss the prospect of a government shutdown, the growth in tariff revenue and the president's "pocket rescission."

09-10
45:06

Rethinking a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution

This week on Facing the Future, Kurt Couchman, senior fellow in fiscal policy at Americans for Prosperity, explained why he thinks a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution is needed, why past efforts failed and how a new effort could succeed.

09-03
44:53

Should Taxes Be Designated for Specific Purposes?

This week on Facing the Future, tax expert Bill Gale of the Brookings Institution discussed the effects of higher tariffs and a new commentary he co-authored on the idea of using earmarked revenues as a deficit reduction strategy. Concord Coalition Executive Director Carolyn Bourdeaux joined the conversation.

08-27
44:34

What Would a Debt-induced Crisis Look Like?

This week on Facing the Future we talked with Dennis Lockhart, former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He gave us his take on the state of the economy and what might happen in a debt-induced fiscal crisis. Concord Coalition Executive Director Carolyn Bourdeaux joined the conversation.

08-19
44:51

Are Social Security's Self-financing Days Ending?

This week on Facing the Future, former Social Security Public Trustee Charles Blahous discussed the program's deepening financing challenges on its 90th anniversary and explained why postponing action just makes things worse.

08-13
44:58

On the Brink of a Recession

This week on Facing the Future, Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, explained why he believes the U. S. economy is edging closer to a recession, led by the negative impacts of higher tariffs and restrictive immigration policies. He also weighed-in on the dangers of runaway debt.

08-06
44:49

The Budgetary Pressures of Social Security and Medicare

This week on Facing the Future, we looked at the financial challenges facing Social Security and Medicare with Jessica Riedl of the Manhattan Institute. She explained why these programs add to budget deficits despite the misperception that they are self-financing.  

07-28
44:52

Is Congress Giving Up its Power of the Purse?

This week on Facing the Future, Molly Reynolds of the Brookings Institution talks about the possibility of a government shutdown in the fall and whether the spending power is shifting away from Congress toward the executive branch.

07-23
44:59

Plan Now for a Fiscal Crisis

This week on Facing the Future, former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels joined us to discuss the need to develop contingency plans for a fiscal crisis in the U.S. that he sees as increasingly probable.

07-14
44:52

Medicare's Growing Cost

This week on Facing the Future, Jim Capretta of the American Enterprise Institute digs into the 2025 Medicare Trustees Report. Then he explains why the federal budget rules are deepening societal differences.

07-08
44:56

A Big Bill but an Economic Bust

This week on Facing the Future, we heard from two tax experts with different ideological perspectives who have been following the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). David S. Mitchell is a senior fellow for tax and regulatory policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth and Kyle Pomerleau is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

06-30
44:47

Tax Cuts are Easy. Offsets are Hard.

This week on Facing the Future, tax expert Andrew Lautz, Associate Director for Economic Policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, discusses tensions between House and Senate Republicans as they rush to pass a major deficit-financed tax cut bill before July 4th.

06-25
44:56

A High Noon Moment for the Power of the Purse

This week on Facing the Future, Prof. Philip Joyce of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, explains the high stakes in Washington's battle over the power of the purse and why protecting the Congressional Budget Office matters. 

06-18
44:41

Debt Concerns Haunt "Big Beautiful Bill"

This week on Facing the Future we talked with Bill Hoagland, Senior Vice President of the Bipartisan Policy Center, about the growing debt fears that cloud the prospects of Republicans' budget bill in the Senate.

06-10
44:52

What's Behind the Greenland Pitch?

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.

06-03
44:55

The Budget is Big, but is it Beautiful?

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.

05-28
44:57

Is Trump Repeating Biden's Mistakes?

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.

05-20
44:09

House Republicans Show Their Cards on the Tax Bill

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?

05-14
44:15

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