As the US faces the prospect of a default in the coming months, its trillions of dollars of debt are again at the forefront of policymakers’ concerns. For over 20 years, while a generation of leaders has arrived and departed Washington, neither party has achieved a budget surplus. Though the great recession and a global pandemic account for some overspending, US debt levels have been generally rising for 40 years, to the point that we are now approaching debt-to-GDP ratios most economists consider a potential challenge to economic growth. What can be done to move beyond the current paradigm, where both political parties seem to prefer using the federal deficit as a means of scoring short term political points at the expense of longer-term fiscal solutions? Join us as we examine potential bipartisan approaches to achieving greater fiscal sustainability. 

Moderator

Josh Barro

Author, "Very Serious" Newsletter; Host, "Very Serious" Podcast

Speakers

Brendan Boyle

US Representative, Pennsylvania; Ranking Member, US House Budget Committee

Maya MacGuineas

President, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

Mick Mulvaney

Former White House Chief of Staff; Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Co-Chair, Actum Global Advisers

Alan Schwartz

Executive Chairman, Guggenheim Partners