Facing the Future The Concord Coalition

This week on Facing the Future, Bob was joined by Concord Coalition Co-Chairs and former U.S. Senators Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and Jack Danforth (R-MO). Thirty years ago they co-chaired a bipartisan commission on entitlement and tax reform that warned of unsustainable budget trends. Reflecting back upon the past three decades, the bright spots are overshadowed by the same looming problems the Kerrey-Danforth Commission warned of in 1994. The Co-Chairs outlined where we stand and where we go from here. Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future, Bob Bixby was joined by Concord Coalition Policy Director Tori Gorman and Chief Economist Steve Robinson to discuss the latest 10-year Budget and Economic Outlook from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO report projects that the federal budget deficit will grow from $2 trillion this year to $2.8 trillion by 2034 (adjusted to exclude timing shifts that occur when the first day of the fiscal year falls on a weekend). Bob, Tori, and Steve broke down the key projections from the report and what each could mean for interest rates, jobs, and economic growth going forward.

This week on Facing the Future, Bob Bixby was joined on the show by Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. He also served as one of thirteen COVID-19 advisors on President-elect Biden’s pandemic advisory board in 2020. Osterholm provided insights into where we currently stand with COVID-19 and what lessons we can learn to better prepare for the next pandemic. Concord Coalition Chief Economist Steve Robinson and National Field Director Phil Smith joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we’ll examine developments on the national security front with Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution. Topics include the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as well as competition with China.

This week on Facing the Future Bob was joined by George Mason University Professor Sita Slavov to discuss her recent essay Making Tough Fiscal Choices to Protect Future Generations and the relevance of long term sustainability to younger generations. Slavov has previously worked with the White House Council of Economic Advisors and was a member of the 2019 Social Security Technical Panel on Assumptions and Methods. Concord Coalition National Field Director Phil Smith joined the conversation.

This week on Facing the Future we'll talk with Jason Furman, a former top economic advisor to Presidents Clinton and Obama. He now teaches economics at Harvard University. We discussed the prospects of a "soft landing" for the economy and the crucial role of interest rates in projecting future debt.