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 wasteful spending requires relentless optimism. 

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 families. 

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 costly Golden Dome missile defense program, and recent developments in defense spending that could impact taxpayers for years to come. 

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 disasters. 

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 environmental policy—it's smart fiscal stewardship. 

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 rebate checks to a proposed agricultural fund that essentially uses tariff money to compensate farmers for tariff damage (yes, really), the hosts reveal Washington's latest adventures in wishful thinking economics. Plus: why businesses hate uncertainty almost as much as they hate filling out tax forms, and how "rule by tariff" is making economic forecasters reach for the antacids. 

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 would lose under proposed changes. Meanwhile, implementation challenges are emerging: delayed disaster declarations, staffing reductions at FEMA, and coordination issues between federal and state agencies.

TCS President Steve Ellis and Director of Research & Policy Josh Sewell examine both sides of this debate. While federal disaster response clearly needs reform to improve efficiency and accountability, they explore whether current changes are achieving those goals or creating new problems that could cost taxpayers more in the long run.

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 the bipartisan Warrior's Right to Repair Act. From F-35 fighter jets to broken generators in South Korea, discover how contractor monopolies are keeping our military from maintaining their own equipment - and why 74% of Americans support giving our troops the tools and training to fix what they own.

Can Congress finally break the cycle of costly contractor dependency? Find out why this common-sense reform has everyone from Elizabeth Warren to Republicans rallying behind our service members' right to repair.

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 in taxpayer dollars, discover why so many "green" agriculture solutions are climate disasters in disguise. 

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, including more money for the over-budget Sentinel ICBM program and the unfeasible "Golden Dome" missile defense system.

Meanwhile, other provisions would roll back hard-won oil and gas reforms, slashing royalty rates from 16.67% back to 12.5% and reinstating a non-competitive leasing loophole that lets companies grab federal land for just $75. With most Senate committees skipping markup hearings to meet the artificial deadline, this reconciliation package is shaping up to be one of the most expensive and least transparent in recent memory.

TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna, Policy Analyst Gabe Murphy, and Director of Research Josh Sewell break down the wasteful spending, parliamentary hurdles, and political realities facing this "one big beautiful bill.

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 families hardest, discover why the CBO's projections are both critically important and complete fiction. Plus: Why a $9.4 billion rescission package feels like arguing over the bar tab while your house is on fire. 

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 infrastructure capacity. Murphy reveals striking findings from recent Pentagon reports showing 19-22% excess capacity across military installations, while also uncovering troubling inconsistencies in how this excess is being reported and measured.

The conversation explores why BRAC - a unique congressional process that packages base closure recommendations into an up-or-down vote - has been such an effective tool for eliminating wasteful spending, saving taxpayers an estimated $13.8 billion annually from previous rounds. Murphy breaks down what went wrong with the costly 2005 round, including problematic "joint basing" initiatives and contractor-driven cost overruns that have made lawmakers hesitant to authorize new closures.

Challenging common assumptions about the economic impact of base closures, the hosts examine data showing that affected communities often see unemployment drop and income rise in the decade following closures, when proper redevelopment planning occurs. The episode also addresses the Pentagon's overseas footprint of 750 bases in 80 countries, costing $55 billion annually.

With deferred maintenance backlogs reaching $137 billion and ongoing fiscal pressures, Ellis and Murphy make the case that a new BRAC round could save an additional $2.7 billion per year while enhancing both fiscal responsibility and national security.

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 significant cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP. While the Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill adds $3.3 trillion to the deficit, the real cost could reach $5.2 trillion when accounting for budget gimmicks.

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 populations, and whether these changes would meaningfully address the nation's growing debt.

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 stunning contrast between rhetoric and reality: while the Pentagon struggles to identify even $80 million in waste from its $850 billion budget, the administration simultaneously pushes for a trillion-dollar defense budget. Ellis and Murphy break down the alarming expansion of "commercial solutions" designation, problematic weapons systems like the F-35 fighter and Sentinel ICBM, and the parallel assault on acquisition regulations. This essential episode offers taxpayers a clear-eyed view of how the Pentagon's wasteful spending persists despite promises of reform. 

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 taxpayers for generations to come.

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 unusual full-year CR weakens congressional oversight by blocking challenges to presidential emergency declarations and tariff policies. Discover why this legislation represents a concerning shift in the separation of powers and what it means for taxpayers when Congress relinquishes its constitutional authority over spending. Is this CR really about keeping the government running, or is it a power grab that undermines democratic accountability?

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 policy environment. Josh breaks down the recently approved $30.8 billion in agricultural disaster spending and the eye-opening statistics from TCS's updated report on crop insurance subsidies, which shows farmers receiving $54 billion more in payouts than premiums paid over the last decade.

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.

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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 limitations under the Byrd Rule, and the massive fiscal implications of proposed spending increases and tax cut extensions. The conversation highlights the cognitive dissonance between simultaneous pushes for defense spending cuts and increases while examining how the process could add trillions to America's already staggering $36 trillion national debt. 

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, can Silicon Valley-style disruption work in the federal budget? Find out why eliminating "unauthorized" programs and firing federal workers won't come close to the promised savings and why ignoring entitlements like Social Security and Medicare is a recipe for fiscal disaster. 

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 disaster relief. Whether you're concerned about government spending or just want to understand what's happening in Washington, this timely discussion cuts through the partisan rhetoric to deliver the facts about the critical decisions facing Congress in its final weeks of 2024. 

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.