On the latest Facing the Future, I was joined by Concord Coalition Executive Director, Robert L. Bixby, Concord’s Policy Director, Tori Gorman, and former ambassador and immigration attorney, George Bruno. We discussed immigration reform, the ongoing reconciliation process in Congress, and COVID-19 relief.
[Note: Portions of this week’s Facing the Future can be seen in the video clips posted below.]
In addition to passing COVID-19 relief, Gorman said Congress could have one more bite at the reconciliation apple in the months ahead to pass other legislative priorities. Acknowledging the partisan nature of reconciliation, Bixby added that there will still be opportunities for members of a bipartisan working group in the U.S. Senate to have influence on the legislative process.
They both agreed that roughly one-third of the proposed $1.9 trillion relief package currently working its way through the reconciliation process fails Concord’s timely, targeted, and temporary test for emergency legislation. Bixby said some of those proposals are more appropriately considered in non-emergency settings within some semblance of “regular order.”
Bruno and Bixby discussed past and current immigration reform proposals, encouraging lawmakers to focus on long-term economic and workforce growth, while also addressing near-term challenges.
Hear more on Facing the Future. I host the program each week on WKXL, NHTalkRadio.com (N.H.), and it is also available via podcast. Join me and my guests as we discuss issues relating to national fiscal policy with budget experts, industry leaders, and elected officials. Past broadcasts are available here. You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or with an RSS feed. Follow Facing the Future on Facebook, and watch videos from past episodes on The Concord Coalition YouTube channel.
