

Trump's budget bill and ballooning deficits
Jun 20, 2025
Douglas Holtz Eakin, former chief economist for President George W. Bush, and Stephanie Kelton, economics professor and author of The Deficit Myth, dive deep into the implications of Trump's budget bill. They discuss how the bill could add $3 trillion to federal deficits, exploring cuts to essential services like Medicaid. The conversation highlights Modern Monetary Theory and questions around fiscal responsibility amidst rising national debt, while addressing the political challenges of tax reforms and the ongoing budget battles that influence economic policy.
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How CBO Scores Budgets
- The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scores legislation by forecasting the economy and estimating tax and spending changes over 10 years.
- This detailed process shows how new laws affect the budget baseline, revenues, spending, deficit, and debt.
Dynamic Scoring Explained
- Dynamic scoring adjusts deficit estimates by factoring in how legislation affects economic growth.
- Faster growth increases revenues and reduces spending, while slower growth does the opposite, impacting the deficit.
Growth Needs Discipline
- Large tax cuts rarely produce the promised economic growth if accompanied by big spending increases.
- Sustained growth requires disciplined policies focusing on savings, investment, and education rather than immediate consumption.