A just-in-time CR extending current funding levels until March 14, 2025, narrowly averted a government shutdown. So what's in it? Steve Ellis and Josh Sewell take you inside the deal, including $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in economic aid for farmers, and a one-year extension of the farm bill. Get the details on the grab bag of othe…

Get the reality check on America's daunting fiscal challenges and why both parties must face hard truths about spending, taxes, and debt. TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research Josh Sewell dissect the bold claims of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. While fresh eyes on Wa…

With critical deadlines looming and major legislation hanging in the balance, TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Policy Josh Sewell dive into what's at stake during Congress's lame duck session. They break down the pressing December 20th government funding deadline, the stalled Farm Bill reauthorization, and the likelihood of an emergency su…

Taxpayers for Common Sense explores the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture and storage, its expansion, and concerns about its implementation, oversight, and potential misuse as a subsidy for oil production.Taxpayers For Common Sense

TCS Director of Research & Policy Josh Sewell joins Steve Ellis to help answer the multi-billion dollar question: Who Pays When Disaster Strikes?Taxpayers For Common Sense

When a wasteful government program like the Yazoo Area Pump Project is killed, it oughta stay dead. But the US Army Corps of Engineers has this pet zombie hidden in the Mississippi backwater. Listen to find out how taxpayers could be on the hook for billions in an attempt to unnecessarily re-plumb the Mississippi River and its tributaries. An envir…

We hear you! Hit play for the merits of the Elon Musk-style commission on government efficiency. TCS stalwarts Steve Ellis and Josh Sewell emphasize the need for bipartisan support, tackling both spending and revenue issues, and going beyond just eliminating waste.Taxpayers For Common Sense

Pentagon spending plans are spiraling out of control. From ICBMs to next-gen fighters, costs are skyrocketing while strategic benefits remain unclear. Dive into the fiscal chaos as we unpack the Air Force's budget woes and question whether these ambitious projects truly serve national security interests.…

The Congressional Budget Office just released a bomb with their latest projections for the federal budget deficit. They're projecting a federal budget deficit of nearly $2 trillion for fiscal year 2024. That's about $400 billion more than what they projected just four months ago in February, marking a 27% increase. TCS President Steve Ellis is join…

Join host Steve Ellis, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, and policy analyst Gabe Murphy as they dive deep into the murky waters of Pentagon budgeting on the latest episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal. Steve and Gabe expose the partisan gridlock threatening to derail the NDAA and shine a light on the Senate's misguided $25 billion Pentagon…

In this revealing episode of Budget Watchdog AF, Steve Ellis and Josh Sewell dive deep into the House Agriculture Committee's recently passed Farm Bill. With a $1.5 trillion price tag, the bill is loaded with loopholes and giveaways for special interests, while failing to prioritize those truly in need of taxpayer support.…

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) caps national security spending at $895 billion in 2025, but changes to the Pentagon's budget request may not hold as the budget process moves forward. TCS policy analyst Gabe Murphy joins host Steve Ellis with an analysis of the potential for Congress to exceed these caps, the Navy's shipbuilding budge…

Lawmakers in the 118th Congress again have the power to “bringing home the bacon” with federal dollars to specific projects in their home states and districts. Has transparency worked to provide scrutiny and limit potential abuse? TCS Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell and TCS Research Associate Chris Howe-Smith join host Steve Ellis for a…

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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.…