Last summer’s discussions on the typically routine and mundane task of raising the nation’s debt ceiling became so heated Washington nearly ground to a halt. This election cycle, taxes, the deficit, and budget cuts are still looming issues. As the United States teeters on the edge of a fiscal cliff, Congress remains at an impasse and voters are increasingly wary of the politics of the federal budget. Why can't policymakers reach a compromise? And how did this legislative tradition devolve into a vitriolic partisan sideshow?

Join New America for a conversation with policy analysts and politicos for an inside look at the federal budget impasse. Marc Goldwein, senior policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Noam Scheiber, a New America Schwartz Fellow and senior editor of The New Republic, and David Wessel, the economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, will explore what Americans should know about budget politics, how we veered so far off the path of fiscal responsibility, and what the real-world impact of this highly politicized battle could look like.

Featuring:

David Wessel
Author, Red Ink: Inside the High-Stakes Politics of the Federal Budget
Economics Editor, The Wall Street Journal

Marc Goldwein
Senior Policy Director, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Formerly served on the Fiscal Commission and the Super Committee

Noam Scheiber
Bernard L. Schwartz Fellow, New America Foundation
Senior Editor, The New Republic; Author, The Escape Artists