Budget Watchdog All Federal
The podcast 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 you the facts about what's being talked about, bandied about, and pushed in Washington. Budget Watchdog All Federal is brought to you by Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Episodes
92 episodes
Feeding the World Without Frying the Planet with Michael Grunwald
New York Times bestselling author Michael Grunwald joins host Steve Ellis to discuss his forthcoming book "We Are Eating the Earth: the Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate,"...
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Episode 92
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46:59
One Big Beautiful Bill, Many Ugly Problems
Senate Republicans are scrambling to craft their version of President Trump's massive budget reconciliation package before a self-imposed July 4th deadline – and they're making the House's already bloated bill even worse. The Senate Armed Servi...
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Episode 91
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18:46
Are Tariffs Offsetting the New Tax Cut? What the CBO Report Really Says
The Congressional Budget Office just dropped a bombshell: Trump's tariff policies could reduce deficits by $2.8 trillion over 10 years. Sounds great for fiscal hawks, right? Wrong. Steve Ellis and Josh Sewell break down why this "deficit reduct...
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Episode 90
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26:57
Base Instincts - The Case for Military Base Closures
In this episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, host Steve Ellis sits down with TCS Policy Analyst Gabe Murphy to discuss their comprehensive new report, "
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Episode 89
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34:36
Big Beautiful Bill: Trump's $5 Trillion Gamble
In this episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, host Steve Ellis and Director of Research Josh Sewell break down President Trump's massive reconciliation package that passed the House by the razor-thin margin of 215-214. The "one big beautiful ...
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Episode 88
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25:47
Slashing and Shifting: Inside President Trump's FY2026 Budget Proposal
In this episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, Steve Ellis and Josh Sewell analyze President Trump's newly released "skinny budget" for fiscal year 2026, which proposes $163 billion in cuts primarily to domestic programs while increasing fundi...
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Episode 87
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21:44
Warrior Ethos vs. Taxpayer Reality: The Pentagon's Waste Paradox
In this eye-opening episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, host Steve Ellis sits down with TCS Policy Analyst Gabe Murphy to dissect President Trump's recent executive order on "
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Episode 86
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14:35
Fiscal Smoke and Mirrors
In this episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, host Steve Ellis and TCS Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell expose the deceptive budgeting tactics being employed in Washington and how this accounting gimmick allows lawmakers to pretend...
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Episode 85
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13:28
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