It’s August 29th, 2022, the 17th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Louisiana.  17 years since the country watched as much of a major U.S. city plunged underwater and more than 1800 lives were lost.  On this heavy-hearted anniversary, Steve Ellis is joined by TCS Senior Policy Analyst Josh Sewell to define the role the federal government plays in ensuring communities have their own plans in place that are tailored to the risks and opportunities every disaster presents.

It took 100 years, but Congress is poised to pass the first update to the onshore oil and gas royalty rate since 1920.  It's all part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.  TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna, and Research Analyst Mia Huang, join TCS President Steve Ellis for deep dive on the IRA provisions that directly impact reform in the federal oil and gas leasing program.  Hit play to learn about oil and gas leasing reforms, and increase to the onshore royalty, rental rates, and the new minimum bid in lease auctions.

Who doesn’t love a summer surprise? Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, comes courtesy of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV).  So, what’s in it and will it live up to its name? TCS President Steve Ellis and Senior Policy Analyst Joshua Sewell have the details in this episode of the Budget Watchdog AF podcast. 

In Washington D.C. this mid-July, 2022, the days are long.  The temperatures are high.  And the legislative headwinds on Capitol Hill are reaching gale force.  In this kind of charged and volatile political environment, it is critical that budget watchdogs keep their eye on the ball.  What ball?  The money! And – nowhere – do we --the American Taxpayers -- spend more money than at the Pentagon.  So, hit play and join host Steve Ellis and TCS Senior Policy Analyst, Wendy Jordan, for an illuminating ride into the darkness of the congressional appropriations process. 

Happy 4th of July, BWAF faithful! Do you know the old saying, “More bang for your buck”? 
Well, this year, when it comes to fireworks on America’s birthday – the mantra is now, "More Bang? More Bucks!" Host Steve Ellis is joined by Josh Sewell – TCS Senior Policy Analyst… to explode the myths about why costs are soaring skyward.

The Biden Administration has said it is throwing everything at tackling inflation. And it is quite clear that it is not going to be solved by quick fixes. TCS President Steve Ellis and Senior Policy Analysts Josh Sewell and Wendy Jordan spell out how Congress and the administration can remove federal policies distorting the playing field for the benefit of special interests and driving up costs for taxpayers.

Are America’s green fields lined with taxpayer dollars? In this episode of Budget Watchdog AF, host Steve Ellis and TCS Ag experts, Joshua Sewell and Sheila Karpf plow fertile ground with a very special guest.  Dr. Joe Glauber served as Chief Economist at the US Department of Agriculture from 2008-2014, and in total, spent more than 30 years at USDA. Hit play and hear how much more is in the Farm Bill than you probably realized.

In this episode, we explore the inexplicable gold giveaway that the 18th President of the United States signed into law to incentives the development of the west. Ulysses S. Grant signed the General Mining Law of 1872 into law. He thereby set the royalty rate on the sale of publicly owned minerals like gold, silver, copper, and uranium at ZERO. That’s right, ZERO.  This outdated and still operable law continues to allow precious metals to be mined and profited from without compensation to the resource owners, federal taxpayers. So how much lost taxpayer revenue are we talking about? Over the last decade … approximately two billion dollars. Joining Steve Ellis to dig deeper is TCS Research & Data Analyst, Mia Huang and TCS Vice President Autumn Hanna.

Taxpayers for Common Sense believe our tax dollars should be wisely spent no matter what – whether that’s long-term solutions to climate change or addressing pressing issues related to the war in Ukraine.  Will the policy responses announced by Congress and the Administration do anything to address rising costs? And what impact will these changes have on long-term climate costs?  TCS Senior Policy Analyst Sheila Karpf joins host Steve Ellis to drill down on gas prices and common sense climate solutions.

With $1.6 trillion in discretionary budget authority … the Rube Goldbergian Biden FY 23 federal budget is decidedly not deficit reduction.  Hit play if you need a contextualized, nuanced, and laser-sharp read on the numbers and what they really mean.  Host Steve Ellis is joined by TCS Senior Policy Analysts Josh Sewell and Wendy Jordan.