Reining in Federal Spending: A Conversation with David Ditch | Let People Prosper 167 | LPP 167

​Today’s guest is David Ditch, Senior Analyst in Fiscal Policy at the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC). With over a decade of experience examining the federal budget, David has worked at the Senate Budget Committee and at The Heritage Foundation, where he helped launch the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget. His work has been published in outlets like FoxNews.com, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune.

David’s reputation is clear: he cuts through Washington spin with data-driven analysis, showing how Congress, bureaucrats, and special interests have fueled a debt crisis that threatens the future. In our conversation, we dive into the national debt as a failure of elites, the false fights over discretionary vs. mandatory spending, and what Washington could learn from low-tax, low-spend states. We also cover the gimmicks that dominate appropriations and the challenge of making fiscal responsibility popular again.

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(0:00) – Introduction to Fiscal Policy and Budgeting
(3:04) – David Ditch’s Journey in Politics and Policy
(5:49) – The Reality of Federal Spending and Budgeting
(8:57) – The Role of the Senate Budget Committee
(12:07) – Current Issues in Federal Budgeting
(15:01) – Understanding the National Debt Crisis
(20:49) – Political Dynamics of Spending and Welfare
(24:02) – The Need for Comprehensive Reform
(29:42) – The Executive Branch and Spending Control
(35:48) – Housing Affordability and Family Dynamics