| Hello John, Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with my colleague Kurt Couchman, senior policy fellow at AFP. We talked about his new book, “Fiscal Democracy in America.”
Here’s the best part: These proposals are realistic and achievable. In our conversation, Kurt laid out a compelling vision for how Congress can restore fiscal responsibility and strengthen our nation’s economic future.
Here are a few of the most interesting takeaways from our discussion: - Congress was meant to be the strongest branch — but has become the weakest. Kurt reminded me that our debt problem isn’t just about numbers, but about how the government works. He argues that Congress must reclaim its legislative powers by modernizing how it manages taxpayer dollars — and by getting serious about budgeting responsibly.
- A balanced budget amendment would help restore long-term fiscal discipline. According to Kurt, a well-crafted constitutional amendment would not only help restrain spending — it would also push lawmakers to fix how they make decisions to consider tradeoffs and prioritize the long-term health of our economy. The goal is to strengthen democracy in Congress while establishing reasonable guardrails.
- Fixing Congress could strengthen trust and opportunity for families.
When Congress functions as it should, wasteful programs get cut, resources flow where they’re most needed, and families benefit through lower inflation, higher pay, and a more stable economy. The upgrades Kurt discusses could make that vision a reality. Kurt made another powerful point: Families spend their own hard-earned money, so they naturally focus on value and efficiency.
Washington, on the other hand, spends other people’s money — which makes strong institutions and accountability even more important.
If you care about restoring fiscal sanity in Washington, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.
👉 Read my full interview with Kurt Couchman 👉 Get more information about Kurt’s book, “Fiscal Democracy in America: How a Balanced Budget Amendment Can Restore Sound Governance”
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