Budget Watchdog All Federal

What happens when a CT scanner breaks down in Afghanistan and soldiers can't repair it themselves? Or when the Navy has to fly contractors out to sea just to fix basic equipment? This episode dives into the Pentagon's "right to repair" problem - where service members are blocked from fixing their own gear, costing taxpayers billions and putting missions at risk. Host Steve Elli...

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 ," coming out July 1st. The episode reveals how agricultural lobbying has created a web of costly policies that benefit agribusiness while exacerbating climate problems. From the biofuels boondoggle that...

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 Services Committee wants to throw an additional $6 billion at Pentagon spending, bringing the total national security increase to $156 billion, in...

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 reduction" is actually a massive tax increase on American families disguised as trade policy. From 25% tariffs on cars to inflation hitting working...

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, " Base Instincts: A Case for Base Realignment and Closures at Home and Abroad ." Nearly 20 years have passed since the last Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round in 2005, yet the Pentagon continues to operate with significant excess...

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 bill" extends the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, exempts tips and overtime from taxes, raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion, and makes signifi...

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 funding for defense, homeland security, and border security. Get the TCS take on how these dramatic spending shifts might impact vulnerable popula...

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 " Modernizing Defense Acquisitions ." Despite promising language about cutting Pentagon waste, Murphy reveals how this order actually undermines transparency and accountability. The conversation exposes the...

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 that extending expiring tax cuts costs nothing while actually adding trillions to the national debt. 

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. As the national debt exceeds $36 trillion, this episode provides essential context on how these fiscal maneuvers could further burden American...

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 Pentagon with a $6 billion boost and expanded transfer authority while cutting $13 billion from domestic programs. The team explains how this u...

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 Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins' pledge to "Make Agriculture Great Again" amid the current administration's unpredictable po...

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 counterproductive. e6FNx7C9sJOrxAXNf338

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 between the House's "one big beautiful bill" approach and the Senate's two-bill strategy, breaking down how reconciliation works, its limit...

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 other stuff left on the cutting room floor.

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 Washington's spending problems are welcome...

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 supplemental spending bill for recent disa...

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. 

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

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 environmental and fiscal disaster that benefits only a...

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. 

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 joined by TCS Director of Research and Pol...

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 budget increase. They'll arm you with t...

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.