Podcasts about Concord Coalition

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 session of Congress. Bourdeaux commented that Trump “did make a nice hat tip to a balanced budget, which I appreciated. He said he would balance the budget and he would address the debt. However, the revenues and expenditures that he talked about just don't add up.”

This week on Facing the Future, we'll discuss President Trump's speech to Congress and the prospects for his goal to balance the federal budget. Our guest is former Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux, the new executive director of The Concord Coalition who will also lead Concord Action, a new grassroots advocacy organization.

This week on Facing the Future, the Concord Coalition staff looks back on fiscal year 2024 and what to expect in 2025. Our special guest is Chase Hagaman, director of economic development at the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) and the original host of Facing the Future.

This week on Facing the Future, the Concord Coalition staff looks back on fiscal year 2024 and what to expect in 2025. Our special guest is Chase Hagaman, director of economic development at the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) and the original host of Facing the Future.

This week on Facing the Future, Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson explains why the "Social Security Fairness Act" would result in an unearned windfall for a small number of workers. We'll also discuss a new debt limit warning by the Government Accountability Office.

This week on Facing the Future, Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson explains why the "Social Security Fairness Act" would result in an unearned windfall for a small number of workers. We'll also discuss a new debt limit warning by the Government Accountability Office.

This week on Facing the Future we began by discussing an Illustrative package of 13 federal tax and spending reform options prepared by the Penn-Wharton Budget Model (PWBM). Our guest for this segment was Dr. Kent Smetters, faculty director of the PWBM. Then, Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, walked us through some big decisions on the budget that the new administration and new Congress will need to make after they take office in January. Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we discussed the interaction of fiscal and monetary policy with Dr. Thomas Hoenig, former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and a member of the Federal Reserve System's Open Market Committee (FOMC) from 1991 to 2011. We got his take on the Fed's efforts to engineer a soft landing and the implications of high debt for the nation's long-term budget and economic outlook. Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we begin with Social Security's annual cost of living increase, announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) on October 10. Then we looked at seven key findings from the 1994 bipartisan Kerrey-Danforth commission that are sadly still valid and still in need of solutions. Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson, a former senior advisor at the SSA, joined me for the discussion.

This week on Facing the Future we focused on the economy and previewed the 2025 tax debate when key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. We also discussed some new tax proposals that have been floated on the campaign trail.    Our guest was Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President of the American Action Forum and former Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson and I assess Social Security's accomplishments, future challenges and some myths about reform as the program turns 89. Then we'll hear from former U.S. Senator and Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats (R-IN) on his concerns about the U.S. debt.

This week on Facing the Future, Bob Bixby switched from the host chair to the guest seat to talk about  his 25-year career as Executive Director of The Concord Coalition. National Field Director Phil Smith asked Bob questions about the importance of the federal budget, the fiscal outlook, and The Concord Coalition over the years. Later in the show, Phil interviewed two of our Fiscal Lookout volunteers, Kevin Wiley of Indiana and Erik Carter of New York, about the work of political depolarization and engaging their communities in fiscal issues.

This week on Facing the Future, guest host Phil Smith discusses the need for political depolarization with two Concord Coalition grassroots leaders. In addition, Phil talks with Bob Bixby about his 25 years as executive director of The Concord Coalition.

At this week's Round Table, Emmanuel and Inyoo spoke with Phil Smith, the National Field Director for The Concord Coalition. Founded in 1992 by former US Senators Paul Tongas and Warren Rudman, The Concord Coalition stands as a beacon of nonpartisan dedication, advocating for fiscal responsibility and educating the public about the federal budget's intricacies. Phil's journey with the coalition spans over two decades, marked by tireless efforts in conducting seminars, town hall meetings, and public policy initiatives across all 50 states.  Phil's expertise transcends boundaries, extending to engagements with major media networks like CNN, FOX, PBS, NPR, CNBC, C-span, the BBC, and CTV, reflecting his commitment to widespread awareness and dialogue about critical fiscal matters. His illustrious career extends beyond The Concord Coalition, having served as the Chief Operating Officer for Georgia's Department of Community Affairs and the Technical College System. Phil's dedication to civic engagement is underscored by gubernatorial appointments to boards like the Georgia Humanities Council and the Georgia Children and Youth Coordinating Council. Phil's passion lies in fostering understanding about the federal budget's paramount significance and the generational implications of fiscal policy. He unravels the complexity behind upcoming fiscal changes, urging us to grasp their profound impact on society for decades to come. Moreover, Phil delves into the bipartisan essence of budget policy, emphasizing the urgency of cooperation and compromise in steering our fiscal trajectory. His insights extend an invitation for all to engage in these pivotal issues, inspiring action and informed participation. Our conversation dove into the depths of fiscal responsibility, generational equity, and the pathways to a sustainable fiscal future. Thank you for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nextgenpolitics/message

This week on Facing the Future, we looked back on budget and economic policy in 2023, which was mostly about avoiding crises, and where things stand heading into 2024. Our discussion featured a panel of Concord Coalition experts, including policy director Tori Gorman, chief economist Steve Robinson, national field director Phil Smith, deputy director Chris Colligan, and media and policy intern Kyle Duffy.

This week on Facing the Future, we looked back on budget and economic policy in 2023, which was mostly about avoiding crises, and where things stand heading into 2024. Our discussion featured a panel of Concord Coalition experts, including policy director Tori Gorman, chief economist Steve Robinson, national field director Phil Smith, deputy director Chris Colligan, and media and policy intern Kyle Duffy.

This week on Facing the Future, we'll focus on the latest economic projections from the Federal Reserve Board. Their last meeting, which concluded on December 13, certainly made some news with the projection that the Fed might actually begin to reduce interest rates in 2024. To guide us through the economic news, our guest this week is Robert Carroll, Co-leader of the EY's Quantitative Economics and Statistics (QUEST) group. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, we'll focus on the latest economic projections from the Federal Reserve Board. Their last meeting, which concluded on December 13, certainly made some news with the projection that the Fed might actually begin to reduce interest rates in 2024. To guide us through the economic news, our guest this week is Robert Carroll, Co-leader of the EY's Quantitative Economics and Statistics (QUEST) group. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, we'll do a round-up of topics including new Census Bureau population projections, the road ahead for FY 2024 appropriations following passage of a new CR (continuing resolution) and a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, Moore v. United States, that could have a big effect on federal government revenues. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join the conversation.          

This week on Facing the Future, we'll do a round-up of topics including new Census Bureau population projections, the road ahead for FY 2024 appropriations following passage of a new CR (continuing resolution) and a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, Moore v. United States, that could have a big effect on federal government revenues. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we heard from three members of Congress who took part in a virtual discussion on November 13 titled, “Working Toward a Sustainable Fiscal Future in a Divided Congress.” The three congressmen, Don Bacon (R-NE), Jared Golden (D-ME), and Scott Peters (D-CA) were recipients of The Concord Coalition's 2023 Economic Patriot Award, which is given for efforts to bring about a more fiscally sustainable path for future generations.

This week on Facing the Future we heard from three members of Congress who took part in a virtual discussion on November 13 titled, “Working Toward a Sustainable Fiscal Future in a Divided Congress.” The three congressmen, Don Bacon (R-NE), Jared Golden (D-ME), and Scott Peters (D-CA) were recipients of The Concord Coalition's 2023 Economic Patriot Award, which is given for efforts to bring about a more fiscally sustainable path for future generations.

This week on Facing the Future, we talk with former Congressman and Ambassador Richard Swett about the work he's been doing with a Princeton University initiative on restoring the Constitutional powers of Congress. Swett serves on a subcommittee dealing with the power of the purse, something of great interest to The Concord Coalition. Then, we'll get Swett's perspectives on how security challenges in Israel and Ukraine might play out.

This week on Facing the Future, we talk with former Congressman and Ambassador Richard Swett about the work he's been doing with a Princeton University initiative on restoring the Constitutional powers of Congress. Swett serves on a subcommittee dealing with the power of the purse, something of great interest to The Concord Coalition. Then, we'll get Swett's perspectives on how security challenges in Israel and Ukraine might play out.

This week on Facing the Future we'll look at how Congress avoided a government shutdown on September 30 and whether they'll be able to do it again by November 17 when the short-term deal they reached comes to an end. Then we'll look at the latest economic numbers and consider what they mean for the federal budget. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join me for the discussion.

This week on Facing the Future we'll look at how Congress avoided a government shutdown on September 30 and whether they'll be able to do it again by November 17 when the short-term deal they reached comes to an end. Then we'll look at the latest economic numbers and consider what they mean for the federal budget. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join me for the discussion.

This week on Facing the Future, we look at the “day of reckoning” that our guest Eugene Steurele of the Urban Institute, says is coming for U.S. fiscal policy. And we'll also get Steuerle's take on why the budget is, and has been, transferring resources from America's youth to richer, older generations. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, we look at the “day of reckoning” that our guest Eugene Steurele of the Urban Institute, says is coming for U.S. fiscal policy. And we'll also get Steuerle's take on why the budget is, and has been, transferring resources from America's youth to richer, older generations. Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson join the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, we catch up with Phill Sletten, research director of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, a Concord based nonpartisan state budget think tank. Phil walks us through the current state budget snapshot and talks about some of the short and long-term economic challenges facing the Granite State. Though a smaller scale, many of New Hampshire's budgetary problems mirror our national fiscal challenges at the federal level. Plus, we hear from Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson who has just completed a three-part issue brief series looking at the history and future of the Social Security Trust Fund.  

This week on Facing the Future, we catch up with Phill Sletten, research director of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, a Concord based nonpartisan state budget think tank. Phil walks us through the current state budget snapshot and talks about some of the short and long-term economic challenges facing the Granite State. Though a smaller scale, many of New Hampshire's budgetary problems mirror our national fiscal challenges at the federal level. Plus, we hear from Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson who has just completed a three-part issue brief series looking at the history and future of the Social Security Trust Fund.

This week on Facing the Future, we mark the 88th birthday of Social Security, the benefit program that is a real lifeline for seniors and the disabled. Social Security is now in serious fiscal trouble and its Trust Funds may become insolvent just within the next few years. So we looked back at the history of the program as well as into the future at possible solutions to save Social Security with two experts: Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson, and Dr. Charles Blahous, senior research strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution.

This week on Facing the Future, we mark the 88th birthday of Social Security, one of the best functioning federal programs that has ever existed. Though the benefit program is a real lifeline for seniors and the disabled, it is in serious fiscal trouble and the Social Security Trust Funds may become insolvent just within the next few years. So we look back at the history of the program as well as into the future at possible solutions to save Social Security with two experts: Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson, and Dr. Charles Blahous, senior research strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution.

This week on Facing the Future, we get an update from Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson on the latest economic news plus the looming Congressional battle over appropriations bills for the next fiscal year. No agreement by the end of the current fiscal year on September 30th could force a partial government shutdown. Plus, we visit New Hampshire Boys State where a group of high school students were engaged in serious policy debates over how to reduce the federal deficit over the next 10 years as they took on the Principles and Priorities budget exercise.

This week on Facing the Future, we talk to Richard Jackson, President of the Global Aging Institute about the combined effects of declining fertility rates, longer life expectancy and the baby boomers entering retirement en masse on our federal budget and our economy. It means more spending on Medicare and Social Security, with a smaller working age population to pay into these safety net programs and sustain them. We will also catch up with Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson on the latest economic news.

This week on Facing the Future, Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman joins us to analyze the long-term budget outlook recently released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It projects, among other things, a fast growing elderly population combined with declining birth rates and higher health care costs. All this leading to our national debt nearly doubling as a share of our economy over the next 30 years. Plus, we'll revisit our recent conversation about border climate adjustments designed to cut global greenhouse gas emissions and give American manufacturers some competitive advantage. 

This week on Facing the Future, we are joined by the newest member of The  Concord Coalition's Board of Directors, Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux. Dr. Bourdeaux has extensive experience in public sector budgeting. During the Great Recession, she was director of the Georgia Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, where she worked with both parties to balance Georgia's budget and get the state economy back on track. She brought this valuable budget and fiscal knowledge to Congress when she served as a member representing Georgia's 7th district. Bourdeaux earned a reputation as a serious legislator who worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find solutions to some of our complicated problems, and shares with us the many lessons she's learned along the way. 

This week on Facing the Future, we try to examine the mixed signals on the economic trends with a strong jobs report and inflation easing somewhat but key consumer price indicators still too high. For that, we turn to economist Robert Carroll with Ernst and Young, and then we get further analysis on that plus data from the Congressional Budget Office showing the federal budget deficit on the rise again after coming down the last couple of years from Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson.

This week on Facing the Future, we get expert analysis from the Concord Coalition's policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson on the debt limit deal struck between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to avert a federal default. We also hear excerpts from a very interesting forum held last week with Harvard economist Jason Furman and Rohit Kumar of PricewaterhouseCoopers who both question the efficacy of even having a debt limit at all. Furman and Kumar were involved in negotiations between President Obama and Republicans in Congress during the last debt limit crisis in 2011.  

This week on Facing the Future, we turn to the Concord Coalition's  veterans of Congress - policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson - for up to the minute analysis on negotiations between President Biden and Congressional leaders over extending or suspending the nation's debt limit. The federal government may have only a few days or the next week to be able to pay all of its bills in full and on time before a default occurs if a deal cannot be reached. If no deal is reached, the consequences on our economy could be serious and far reaching.

This week on Facing the Future, Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson - both veterans of Capitol Hill - dissect the particulars of Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's proposal to raise the debt limit in exchange for about $4.5 Trillion in deficit reduction. A laudable goal, but should it be the start of a budget negotiation rather than a set of conditions for raising the debt limit to avoid a government default this summer? We also speak to Professor Mike Aguilar of the University of North Carolina about the collegiate Fiscal Challenge competition, which he founded and runs. 

This week on Facing the Future, we travel to Iowa to get some perspectives on the long-term fiscal and economic challenges facing the United States. We are joined by a panel of experts from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business to look at short and long-term economic trends and how to bring down the cost of healthcare. They were joined by Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson who takes a look at the current debt limit fight in Congress, and what is at stake for our economy. Plus, how can we avoid the Social Security Trust Fund going insolvent which could mean major benefit cuts for seniors. 

This week on Facing the Future, we hear excerpts from a recent panel discussion focusing on the economic and federal budget impact of climate change. The White House estimates that environmental damage may cost taxpayers up to $130 billion every year, and may cut our economic output by as much as 10% by the end of the century. The panel discussion was sponsored by the Concord Coalition, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Service at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

This week on Facing the Future, we have an in-house panel of Concord Coalition experts - policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson - evaluate the validity and credibility of President Biden's recently released Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget plan. The President did propose some changes to Medicare and a significant amount of new revenue, but his plan comes up short in other areas. We take a look at the budget through a set of criteria we developed and assign some color codes - green, yellow and red - to tell us whether the President's budget meets the mark.

This week on Facing the Future, we hear from Andrew Biggs, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. In a recent Op-Ed for the Washington Post entitled "Biden Once Cut Social Security. Now, He Can Save It" Biggs argues that both Republicans and Democrats need to stop making empty promises not to touch Social Security retiree benefits if they're unwilling to pay higher payroll taxes to fund them. And we also hear from Concord Coalition chief economist Steve Robinson on how the federal government might still be able to cut Social Security checks even when it hits the debt limit and can't borrow any more money. 

In early November 2022 Karen Jantzen joined the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness as their new Executive Director. Learn more about Karen and the latest from CCEH, their mission to eliminate chronic homelessness, and how you can get involved.

This week on Facing the Future, we get the entire Concord Coalition staff on the program to take stock of everything that happened in 2022 that impacted the federal budget and the economy. It was a doozy of a year, with lingering pandemic related supply chain disruptions and a ground war in Europe pushing inflation up to levels we haven't seen in 40 years. The Fed's moves to raise interest rates are making the national debt much more expensive for Congress to carry. We'll review it all plus examine the Santa Claus theory of Congressional budgeting. 

This week on Facing the Future, excerpts from a special event at the National Press Club in Washington DC celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Concord Coalition's founding. An all-star panel of Concord Coalition alumni featuring Ben Ritz of the Progressive Policy Institute, Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Congressional Economist 'Mom' Diane Lim, and Brian Keane of Smart Power look at the biggest challenges to face the US economy and federal budget such as: how to generate more revenue, saving Social Security and Medicare, climate change, immigration reform, and more.

This week on Facing the Future, a special Thanksgiving edition of the program taken from a recent all-star Concord Coalition panel discussion at Fresno State University in California focusing on some of the biggest upcoming challenges facing our economy and federal budget. Reforming Social Security, reducing health care costs, raising revenue and increasing immigration were among the options on the menu that could all help slow the growth of our national debt and increase economic output over the next 30 years.

This week on Facing the Future, we speak to Concord Coalition policy director Tori Gorman and chief economist Steve Robinson about the prospects for an economic recession in 2023 as the Fed raises interest rates to bring down inflation. Prices remain stubbornly high. We also hear from Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, about that organization's state-by-state effort to open up party primaries to all eligible voters in the hopes that it will get us a less ideologically polarized Congress. 

We are used to hearing absolutely gigantic numbers about how much debt our country has and how we keep adding to it through government deficits every year. Politicians frequently remind us that this is an enormous burden, one that we are passing on to our children. But recently, some economists have argued that we should stop worrying so much. They say that this is just money we owe to ourselves, or that eventually our economy will grow so big that we won't really have to pay the money back at all. But our guest today economist Steve Robinson of the Concord Coalition begs to differ. He says the debt definitely does matter...and he's here to explain why.