Budget Watchdog All Federal
The podcast is dedicated to making sense of the budget, spending, and tax issues facing the nation. We cut through the partisan rhetoric and talking points to bring facts about what's being talked about, bandied about, and pushed in Washington. Budget Watchdog AF is brought to you by Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Episodes
84 episodes
Tariffs and Tax Cuts: The Hidden Cost of 'Liberation Day'
In this timely episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, host Steve Ellis and TCS Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell dive into President Trump's newly declared "Liberation Day" and the economic implications of his sweeping tariff plan. A...
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Episode 84
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29:43
Beyond the CR: How Congress Ceded Power
In this revealing episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, Steve Ellis, Josh Sewell, and Gabe Murphy dissect the March 2025 continuing resolution that's anything but "continuing." They expose how HR 1968 gives unprecedented flexibility to the Pe...
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Episode 83
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21:17
Farms First Again?
As America engages in another trade war, Budget Watchdog All Federal shares firsthand insights from the nation's largest farmer-focused agricultural convention, the Commodity Classic. TCS Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell dives into S...
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Episode 82
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31:41
DOGE Needs to Hunt for Real Budget Savings
In this illuminating discussion, Budget Watchdog host Steve Ellis and TCS Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell examine why the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) approach to federal budget cuts is misguided and potentially counte...
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Episode 81
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24:57
Reconciliation Roulette: Congress's High-Stakes Budget Game
In this timely episode, TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research Josh Sewell dive deep into the complexities of budget reconciliation as Congress grapples with competing strategies in early 2025. They explore the stark differences bet...
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Episode 80
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21:35
What Happened with the CR
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 Jos...
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Episode 79
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27:55
Reality Check: Can Elon Musk's Team Really Cut $2 Trillion in a Year?
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 ...
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Episode 78
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29:40
Lame Duck, Big Bucks: Congress's Last-Minute Spending Sprint
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 76
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25:21
Pumping Profits or Storing Carbon? Oversight Gaps in Carbon Capture Subsidies
Taxpayers for Common Sense explores the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture and storage, its expansion, and concerns ...
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Season 1
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Episode 75
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19:28
Helene's High Cost
TCS Director of Research & Policy Josh Sewell joins Steve Ellis to help answer the multi-billion dollar question: Who Pays When Disaster Strikes?
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Season 1
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Episode 74
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25:13
USACE Boondoggle
When a wasteful government program like the Yazoo Area Pump Project is killed, it oughta stay dead. But the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 73
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26:46
Dear Elon
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 ju...
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Season 1
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Episode 72
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21:02
Pentagon's Unsustainable Spending: The Sentinel ICBM and Next-Gen Fighter Dilemma
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 thes...
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Season 1
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Episode 72
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17:22
CBO Bombshell
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 71
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11:55
Pentagon Budget Update (NDAA & UPLs)
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 partisa...
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Season 1
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Episode 70
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18:14
Farm Bill
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 69
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25:57
National Defense Authorization Act Update
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 Stev...
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Season 1
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Episode 68
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15:50
Earmarks Update
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 Dir...
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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31:54
Who Pays When Disaster Strikes?
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 an...
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Season 1
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Episode 66
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22:15
FY '25 Budget Request
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 ove...
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Season 1
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Episode 65
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25:22
Impasse
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 implica...
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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22:17
2024 Farm Bill Update
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.&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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26:12
War Footing: National Defense Industrial Strategy
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 consid...
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Season 1
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Episode 62
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18:13