The New Liberal Podcast Are we sleepwalking into a budget crisis? ft. Jessica Riedl and Ben Ritz
5 snips
Apr 2, 2025 
Jessica Riedl, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute with deep Republican roots, and Ben Ritz from the Progressive Policy Institute, discuss the looming budget crisis. They analyze the 2025 Republican budget proposal and its potential to worsen the national debt. The conversation covers the implications of congressional spending decisions, the disparity between fiscal cuts and real savings, and the rising deficits’ impact on everyday families. They emphasize the urgent need for bipartisan solutions to tackle these financial challenges head-on.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Current State of the Federal Budget
- The federal deficit is $1.8 trillion annually and projected to double in 10 years.
- Congress passed a continuing resolution, maintaining discretionary spending at previous levels.
Critique of DOGE's Effectiveness
- Jessica Riedel criticizes the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) as "government spending cut theater."
- DOGE targets small budget items like DEI contracts and political subscriptions, rather than significant spending areas.
Historical Republican Fiscal Policy
- Jessica Riedel recounts Republican administrations cutting taxes without following through on spending cuts.
- This pattern occurred under Bush and Trump, with tax cuts preceding spending increases.