What is the role of the federal government in responding to disaster, particularly when the tragedy is manmade? TCS President Steve Ellis is joined by Michael Surrusco and Chris Howe-Smith for a discussion about the Baltimore bridge collapse and the financial impact on taxpayers.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

Budget Watchdog AF considers President Biden’s $7.3 Trillion Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request. A budget that proposes a 4.5% cut in discretionary spending from the previous fiscal year and a reduction in budget deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade. But how rosy are the economic growth projections upon which this budget request is buil…

The impasse in the divided and chaotic U.S. Congress over funding of the federal government has reached another inflection point. Join TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell for a look at the costs and implications for taxpayers.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

Are farm subsidies wasteful spending? What impact will new economic data have on the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization? TCS Director of Research Josh Sewell and Senior Policy Analyst Sheila Korth get their hands dirty coming up with answers.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

The Biden administration's National Defense Industrial Strategy will significantly impact taxpayers. Is the aim to strengthen US defense capabilities or put America on a permanent war footing? The NDIS contains contradictions, especially considering taxpayers will soon pay more each year to service the nation's debt than on the military. Hit play t…

On Jan. 19th, 2024, funding runs out for roughly 20 percent of the U.S. Government — including essential programs like some veterans assistance and food and drug safety services. The funding for the rest of the government runs out on Feb. 2. Hit play to get up to speed on the state of play in Congress with Host Steve Ellis and special guests Josh S…

It’s never too late to harvest savings for taxpayers. On this episode of Budget Watchdog AF, we dig deep and root out the egregious taxpayer subsidies being sent to foreign insurers and large mega-farms.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

Admitting you have a problem is the first step. And Houston, we have a problem. America’s fiscal health is in grave danger. Host Steve Ellis is joined by Josh Sewell and Mike Surrusco to consider the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral fiscal commission to address our nation’s unsustainable national debt and the pending insolvency of critical gover…

In what might be considered a victory, the passage of another continuing resolution comes with its own kind of damage. TCS Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell joins host Steve Ellis for a discussion about how taxpayers stand to lose from the passage of a clean CR.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

All Hallows’ Eve is upon us! And 2023 has been uncommonly spooky. Disappearances. Hauntings. Bloodletting. So, if you dare look deeper - if you seek to hear more. Enter the haunted dome of Capitol Hill and come face to face with the real ghouls, monsters, and fiscal horrors that lurk in the shadows.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

TCS National Security Analyst Gabe Murphy joins Steve Ellis with an important update on America's military budget and spending issues. Hit play for the latest on the defense budget, military aid to Ukraine, the F-35 fighter jet, the Marine Corps transformation plan, and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule, that guides the Pentagon's role …

It turns out that avoiding the self-inflicted fiscal damage of a government shutdown was merely the beginning of a historic and even more highly chaotic period in the US House of Representatives. Just before noon on Tuesday, October 3rd a rebellion led by Representative Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican from Florida led to the House voting 216-210…

We are on the edge of our seats waiting to see if Congress can complete a Hail Mary pass to keep the government running and give lawmakers time to pass the dozen annual spending bills. The Senate has the ball and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is lined up in the shotgun position, hoping to connect on a last-minute six-week Continuing Resolution. TCS…

Oil & Gas Leasing in Nevada is trouble for taxpayers. Host Steve Ellis and TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna are joined by Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation for a discussion about bonding requirements, federal royalty rates, and what constitutes a fair return for taxpayers.…

Lawmakers are back and the September 30 deadline to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2024 — or to pass a continuing resolution for stopgap funding until negotiators can agree on appropriations — looms larger by the minute. Can Speaker Kevin McCarthy unite his fractured conference on spending? Will there be a government shutdown? And how …

The recent credit rating downgrade of the United States government by Fitch Ratings might have been met with alarm bells and market tremors. It was not. Host Steve Ellis is joined by TCS Senior Policy Analyst, Josh Sewell, and TCS Director of Special Projects, Mike Surrusco, to shed light, context, and analysis of the underlying issues that continu…

Ten billion taxpayer dollars per year in subsidies won’t fix farmers’ problems. Why? Because dollars alone won’t solve any problem. Join host Steve Ellis and TCS Senior Policy Analysts Josh Sewell and Sheila Korth for an exclusive look behind the curtain at the special interests driving the formation of the 118th Congress' Farm Bill.…

We’re back with the latest evidence of the increasing costs to taxpayers from climate change. Join Steve Ellis and Josh Sewell as they shine a spotlight on the fat stacks taxpayers are laying down on Climate in 2023.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

Today on the podcast, everything you need to know about biofuels and how the Renewable Fuel Standard has failed consumers, taxpayers, and the climate. Host Steve Ellis is joined by journalist and author Michael Grunwald and TCS Senior Policy Analyst Sheila Korth.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

Wildfire smoke pouring in from Canada is a frightening real-time example of the impacts of climate change. It is also an apt metaphor for how the mounting costs of climate change are being quietly paid by American Taxpayers. Host Steve Ellis and TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna are joined by Bob Keefe and Sandra Purohit with the national, nonpartisa…

The threat of defaulting on the national debt is soon to become real. The American government is on borrowed time and the music is about to stop. TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna and TCS Senior Policy Analyst Josh Sewell join host Steve Ellis to help make sense of what’s at stake.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

Wendy Jordan has analyzed every Pentagon budget request for the last 35 years. She has a multi-faceted understanding of defense programs. And an encyclopedic knowledge of Congressional action. And a voice that listeners of this podcast will soon be missing. Hit play and hear the Wendy Jordan exit interview (uncensored).…

The end of Federal Debt Limit brinksmanship is upon us. Extraordinary measures have been in effect for some time. America is now driving with the “empty light” on and about to blow past the last gas station exit. The near-term costs of a default on our national debt are calculable. The long-term costs of a breach in the “full faith and credit of th…

Taxpayers for Common Sense is out with a new report, "Clearing the Smoke: A Closer Look at Federal Spending and Programs on Wildfire." Host Steve Ellis is joined by TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna, TCS Researcher Tyler Work, and Policy Analyst Mia Huang to navigate the thicket of federal programs and spending.…

The recent failure of Silicon Valley Bank harkened back to the dark days of 2008. Meanwhile, despite losing to Pratt & Whitney more than a decade ago in the battle to supply the engine for the F-35 jet fighter, Washington is suddenly abuzz about a General Electric effort to revive their alternate engine. TCS Senior Policy Analysts Wendy Jordan and …

Josh Sewell joins Steve Ellis to pull back the curtain on how Taxpayers for Common Sense advises foreign governments on the importance of transparency in the stewardship of public resources. Plus, everything you need to look for when President Biden’s Fiscal 2024 Budget Request is released.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

As Treasury Secretary Yellen uses extraordinary measures to keep the nation below the debt ceiling, America's total debt right now is north of $32 trillion. And the psychological "Trillion-Dollar Barrier" has been broken. The just released CBO Budget and Economic Outlook: 2023 to 2033 anticipates a federal budget deficit of $20 trillion over the ne…

Does it make sense for Uncle Sam to put a thumb on the scale to reduce climate risk and the cost to taxpayers? Is that what the Biden Administration’s proposed Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Rule would do? On this episode of the Budget Watchdog AF podcast, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets Managing Director, Steven Ro…

Budget Watchdog AF takes a field trip to the corn and soybean fields of northeastern Nebraska in search of common sense on the Farm Bill. Taxpayers for Common Sense Senior Policy Analysts Sheila Korth and Josh Sewell introduce us to the current generations of the Kinkaid family farming this land since the 1940s. Hit play and hear what these farmers…

What’s to be expected as lawmakers in the 118th Congress work to enact the dozen spending bills that fund government before the October 1st start of fiscal year 2024? What about the expiring Farm Bill? Possible cuts to defense spending? Hit play for the Taxpayers Guide to the 118th Congress with host Steve Ellis and TCS Senior Policy Analysts Wendy…

Host Steve Ellis is joined by the entire TCS budget watchdog pack for this 2022 year-in-review episode.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense

Congress has until December 16th to enact a final FY-23 spending bill, pass another CR, or risk a partial government shutdown. Find out what’s at stake and the budget implications for taxpayers involved in the choice between omnibus and long-term CR. TCS Senior Policy Analysts Joshua Sewell and Wendy Jordan join host Steve Ellis for a conversation …

While most of the country focused on the elections, one of the most important and widely underappreciated documents to emerge from any White House was released, the 2022 National Security Strategy. Join Steve Ellis and TCS National Security Expert Wendy Jordan for a budget watchdog’s take on President Biden's national security vision.…

There is nothing in politics as clarifying as an election. And as the biggest, baddest, budget watchdog podcast on the block, it’s our job to help you see the clearest picture possible of what’s about to go down on Capitol Hill. What’s still on the legislative table? What deals might be made? What hijinx can we expect? And of course, what might it …

The most spooky and creative of holidays reveals a core truth about this podcast, and Taxpayers for Common Sense itself: budget watchdog’in is a team sport. It takes energy and precision and real doggedness to run with our pack… and so today the whole gang is here. Happy Halloween Listening... if you dare.…

The budget deficit for 2022 was $1.4 trillion. That’s half of the $2.8 trillion it was in 2021. In this episode, TCS President Steve Ellis and Senior Policy Analyst Josh Sewell break down the Congressional Budget Office Report on the FY22 Federal Budget Deficit - what it means, what isn’t in it, and what is looming.…

The inability of Congress to fund the government on time without drama is not one-sided. And here we are again! TCS Vice President, Autumn Hanna, and TCS Senior Policy Analyst Josh Sewell, join show host Steve Ellis to explain the bipartisan affliction known as the Continuing Resolution and why curing it requires a bipartisan solution.…

The curious and potentially catastrophic case of your tax dollars being lit on fire. Oil and gas companies waste billions of cubic feet of natural gas extracted from federal lands, royalty-free, every year by just venting it or burning it off. Hit play for the facts about how methane waste on federal lands is causing economic damage to all taxpayer…

It’s August 29th, 2022, the 17th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Louisiana. 17 years since the country watched as much of a major U.S. city plunged underwater and more than 1800 lives were lost. On this heavy-hearted anniversary, Steve Ellis is joined by TCS Senior Policy Analyst Josh Sewell to …

It took 100 years, but Congress is poised to pass the first update to the onshore oil and gas royalty rate since 1920. It's all part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna, and Research Analyst Mia Huang, join TCS President Steve Ellis for deep dive on the IRA provisions that directly impact reform in the federal oi…

Who doesn’t love a summer surprise? Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, comes courtesy of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). So, what’s in it and will it live up to its name? TCS President Steve Ellis and Senior Policy Analyst Joshua Sewell have the details in this epis…

In Washington D.C. this mid-July, 2022, the days are long. The temperatures are high. And the legislative headwinds on Capitol Hill are reaching gale force. In this kind of charged and volatile political environment, it is critical that budget watchdogs keep their eye on the ball. What ball? The money! And – nowhere – do we --the American Taxpayers…

Happy 4th of July, BWAF faithful! Do you know the old saying, “More bang for your buck”? Well, this year, when it comes to fireworks on America’s birthday – the mantra is now, "More Bang? More Bucks!" Host Steve Ellis is joined by Josh Sewell – TCS Senior Policy Analyst… to explode the myths about why costs are soaring skyward.…

The Biden Administration has said it is throwing everything at tackling inflation. And it is quite clear that it is not going to be solved by quick fixes. TCS President Steve Ellis and Senior Policy Analysts Josh Sewell and Wendy Jordan spell out how Congress and the administration can remove federal policies distorting the playing field for the be…

Are America’s green fields lined with taxpayer dollars? In this episode of Budget Watchdog AF, host Steve Ellis and TCS Ag experts, Joshua Sewell and Sheila Karpf plow fertile ground with a very special guest. Dr. Joe Glauber served as Chief Economist at the US Department of Agriculture from 2008-2014, and in total, spent more than 30 years at USDA…

In this episode, we explore the inexplicable gold giveaway that the 18th President of the United States signed into law to incentives the development of the west. Ulysses S. Grant signed the General Mining Law of 1872 into law. He thereby set the royalty rate on the sale of publicly owned minerals like gold, silver, copper, and uranium at ZERO. Tha…

Taxpayers for Common Sense believe our tax dollars should be wisely spent no matter what – whether that’s long-term solutions to climate change or addressing pressing issues related to the war in Ukraine. Will the policy responses announced by Congress and the Administration do anything to address rising costs? And what impact will these changes ha…

With $1.6 trillion in discretionary budget authority … the Rube Goldbergian Biden FY 23 federal budget is decidedly not deficit reduction. Hit play if you need a contextualized, nuanced, and laser-sharp read on the numbers and what they really mean. Host Steve Ellis is joined by TCS Senior Policy Analysts Josh Sewell and Wendy Jordan.…

In a world where regular order doesn’t exist. And the biggest, baddest, spending bill on the block is an Apex Predator known as “Omnibus”. The earmarks are out there my friends… and they are slippery suckers. By some accounts… the appropriations earmarks in the $1.5 trillion fiscal 2022 omnibus bill that President Joe Biden signed last Tuesday migh…

There is nothing so clarifying for policy and legislative vision, as the State of The Union. On this episode of Budget Watchdog AF, Steve Ellis is joined by future Hall of Fame members of the Taxpayers for Common Sense team to clarify the fiscal message they would like to hear from President Biden.Autor: Taxpayers For Common Sense