04-22-2026
Not only are economists sounding a warning about the United States’ coming fiscal cliff and that the window for a controlled course correction is closing fast — so are policymakers.
Drawing on her experience in Congress, state government, and now as executive director of the Concord Coalition, Carolyn Bourdeaux explains why a $39 trillion federal debt, rising to $40 trillion by year’s end, is a direct threat to future U.S. growth, household opportunity and national security.
Bourdeaux says that interest on the debt is now outpacing defense spending and explains how Social Security and Medicare are on unsustainable paths. In this Daniels Insights interview filmed on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, she makes the case that the U.S. can still avoid a painful reckoning, but only if policymakers and citizens are willing to confront the numbers and support pragmatic reform.
