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PODCAST

Budget Watchdog All Federal

Taxpayers For Common Sense

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.

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All Episodes

25:35

Iran, War Powers, and the Budget

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2026/03/13

Two weeks into the U.S. military campaign against Iran — launched without congressional authorization — the costs are staggering. Estimates put taxpayer exposure at up to $28 billion already, with no clear end in sight. TCS President Steve Ellis sits down with TCS policy analyst Gabe Murphy to break down what we know: the human toll, the daily cost of operations, the shifting justifications from the White House, and what Congress has — and hasn't — done about it. From the narrow defeat of War...

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36:51

The Farm Bill Lives

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2026/03/06

While breaking news about U.S. military action against Iran dominates the headlines, a consequential piece of legislation quietly cleared a major hurdle in Washington. In the early morning hours of March 5th, after a 20-hour marathon markup session, the House Agriculture Committee voted 34-17 to advance the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 — dubbed "Farm Bill 2.0." With the priciest farm programs already locked in through last year's reconciliation bill, what's left may look slim...

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19:43

Trump Tariff Takedown

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2026/02/20

In a historic 6-3 ruling the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump's sweeping global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), holding that the Constitution's taxing power belongs squarely to Congress — not the executive branch. TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell break down the ruling in real time. The court's majority, which included Trump appointees Gorsuch and Barrett alongside Chief Justice Roberts and th...

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14:51

Why Golden Dome is Bad for American Taxpayers

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2026/02/11

TCS President Steve Ellis and Policy Analyst Gabe Murphy break down President Trump's Golden Dome missile defense program—an ambitious vision to shield the entire United States from nuclear attack. With potential costs ranging from $3.6 to $6 trillion and fundamental technical challenges that make near-perfect interception virtually impossible, Golden Dome represents fiscal irresponsibility on a massive scale. Congress has already approved over $24 billion without even seeing a basic architec...

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14:32

Short Shutdown

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2026/01/30

Congress faces a partial government shutdown at midnight over Department of Homeland Security funding—but the border enforcement operations at the center of the fight will continue largely uninterrupted. Last summer's reconciliation bill locked in $170 billion for immigration enforcement through 2029, sitting outside the annual appropriations process. This means agencies like FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard could shut down while ICE operations continue with their massive funding increase. TCS ...

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18:05

Pentagon Plus-Up: Trump's $1.5 Trillion Defense Proposal

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2026/01/09

Just when you thought Pentagon spending couldn't get more out of control, President Trump proposes a 50% budget increase in one year—rocketing Defense spending from $901 billion to $1.5 trillion. That's $500 billion more... and tariffs won't cover it. On Budget Watchdog All Federal, host Steve Ellis and TCS policy analyst Gabe Murphy break down why this "dream military" proposal is fiscal madness, explore a new executive order targeting defense contractor stock buybacks, and examine why Congr...

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15:56

Inside the $12 Billion Farm Bailout

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/12/12

The Trump administration has announced a $12 billion agricultural bailout package as trade wars squeeze American farmers—a familiar scenario from the first Trump administration. TCS Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell joins host Steve Ellis to break down the "Farmers to Family Bridge Aid" package, examining who receives payments, what's actually in the relief, and whether a one-time check provides real certainty.

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25:33

FEMA Reform: Billion-Dollar Disasters and the Push...

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/12/03

With nearly 30 billion-dollar extreme weather events in 2024 alone, disaster costs are spiraling out of control—and Congress is finally taking action. Steve Ellis sits down with TCS Director of Research Josh Sewell and Policy Analyst Tyler Work to examine the FEMA Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that could modernize America's approach to disaster preparedness and response. They explore what the bill gets right—from elevating FEMA back to cabinet-level status to expanding mitigation fundin...

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11:25

Half a Billion and Counting: The Hidden Cost of...

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/11/25

Nearly half a billion dollars spent, families separated over the holidays, small businesses operating short-staffed, and violent crime was already declining. TCS Policy Analyst Gabe Murphy breaks down the mounting taxpayer costs of National Guard deployments to Los Angeles, DC, Chicago, Portland, and Memphis, explaining why these expensive missions are a solution in search of a problem. From the unprecedented legal battles over the Posse Comitatus Act to the economic ripple effects on Guard m...

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31:00

Shutdown Postmortem

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/11/13

After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history has ended. But at what cost? Steve Ellis and Josh Sewell break down the $60 billion price tag taxpayers absorbed for absolutely nothing. Beyond the waste, the Trump administration used the shutdown to expand executive control over federal spending, bypassing Congress to reallocate funds and lay off thousands of workers. The compromise bill may have reversed those moves, but it revealed a dangerous willingness to ignore constitutio...

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28:06

The Antideficiency Act, Explained

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/10/17

In the midst of a full government shutdown, the Trump administration has taken an unprecedented step: firing thousands of federal workers while government funding remains frozen. The problem? This might violate the Anti-Deficiency Act, a law on the books since 1884 that prevents the government from spending money it doesn't have. TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell break down why conducting reductions-in-force during a shutdown—which trigger severance pay...

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26:03

TCS Turns 30

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/10/06

Celebrate our 100th episode and TCS's 30th anniversary! Join President Steve Ellis, co-founder Jill Lancelot, and former President Ryan Alexander as they reveal the untold story behind Taxpayers for Common Sense. From killing the infamous Bridge to Nowhere to becoming Washington's most trusted budget voice, discover how this scrappy startup became the go-to source for exposing government waste. Learn their secrets for staying nonpartisan, making dry numbers compelling, and why fighting wastef...

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21:50

Government Shutdown Countdown

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/09/24

With just days until a potential government shutdown, TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research and Policy Josh Sewell break down the looming crisis facing taxpayers. From the controversial "pocket rescission" maneuver to the unprecedented threat of shutting down the entire government—including military pay—this episode reveals the hidden costs of political dysfunction. Learn why shutdowns actually waste taxpayer money at $1.5 billion per day while delivering zero value to American f...

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21:09

NDAA 2026 and Pentagon Accountability

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/09/11

This episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal dives into the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026, examining critical taxpayer protection measures at stake. Host Steve Ellis and policy analyst Gabe Murphy discuss the Pentagon's proposed budget increases, controversial acquisition reform proposals like the FORGED and SPEED Acts, and key amendments, including Pentagon audit accountability measures and right-to-repair provisions. They also cover unfunded priority lists, the cost...

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18:23

20 Years After Katrina: Are We Still Paying Premium...

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/08/25

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, we're still making the same costly mistakes. Despite spending over $122 billion on flood control since the 1920s, average annual flood damages had tripled even before Katrina hit. TCS Director of Research Josh Sewell joins host Steve Ellis to examine how moral hazard, poor planning, and recent policy changes are wasting taxpayer dollars while leaving communities more vulnerable than ever to increasingly frequent and severe disast...

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23:39

Up in Smoke: The Methane Waste Crisis Costing...

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/08/12

The EPA's delay of methane waste standards will cost taxpayers $170 million as billions of cubic feet of natural gas escape into the atmosphere instead of reaching markets. Host Steve Ellis explores this fiscal and health crisis with TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna, Center for Methane Emission Solutions' Isaac Brown, and Evangelical Environmental Network's Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman. From lost royalty revenues to public health impacts, discover why methane waste prevention isn't just environmen...

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19:32

Rule by Tariff: When Trade Policy Meets Wishful...

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/08/04

In this episode, TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research Josh Sewell tackle the Trump administration's tariff bonanza and explain why counting tariff chickens before they hatch is a recipe for fiscal disaster. They break down how tariffs work (spoiler: American companies pay them), why predicting tariff revenue is about as reliable as a chocolate teapot, and explore lawmakers' creative schemes to spend money that may never materialize. From Senator Josh Hawley's stimulus-style reba...

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31:56

Who Pays When Disaster Strikes, Now?

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/07/24

The Trump administration is proposing fundamental changes to federal disaster response, shifting from FEMA's current model toward block grants that give states more control. The goal: reduce federal bureaucracy and empower local decision-making. But new analysis raises important questions about whether states have the financial capacity to handle major disasters alone. An Urban Institute study found that only 5 out of 31 disaster-affected states had sufficient reserves to cover what they wou...

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17:48

Warrior's Right to Repair - When Military Equipment...

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/07/08

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 Ellis talks with Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette from the Project on Government Oversight and TCS policy analyst Gabe Murphy about...

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46:59

Feeding the World Without Frying the Planet with...

Budget Watchdog All Federal ·

2025/06/23

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 eats up a Texas-sized chunk of farmland to the "faith-based conservation" programs burning through billions i...

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111 results

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