Open To Debate Podcast On "The Big, Beautiful Bill" & The Show Receives A Prestigious Award

 The Big, Beautiful Bill. Everyone is talking about it. Democrats universally despise it.

But the nonpartisan debate program Open to Debate goes in a different direction in their new episode: a fierce debate between two thoughtful conservatives who deeply part ways when it comes to the bill. They square off over whether this bill is a bold pro-growth vision or a $5 trillion ticking time bomb.

Jessica Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who is opposed to the bill, argues that the U.S. is already drowning in red ink: $1.8 trillion annual deficits, debt at 100% of GDP and climbing, and interest costs projected to hit $2 trillion a year, swallowing nearly a third of federal tax revenue. Instead of tackling the crisis, she says this bill pours fuel on the fire and that the bill could backfire, raise interest rates, and shrink the economy.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, an economist with the Heritage Foundation, is a full-throated defender of the bill and says it isn’t about debt— it’s about growth. She argues the economy can’t recover from Biden-era taxes and regulations without it. Besides locking in Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, she says it is a pro-worker, pro-business playbook designed to spark investment, create jobs, and fuel the kind of growth that makes future debt manageable.

This thought-provoking discussion goes deep into the weeds of the bill — about Medicaid, immigration, and other aspects of the bill, as well as the process itself.

Listen/watch the debate at opentodebate.org, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts.

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 The Open to Debate episode “How to Resolve Conflict in Relationships: A Conversation with Esther Perel” has won a coveted New York Festivals Radio Award in the “Talk Program: Talk/Interview Special” category. The episode continues the program’s ongoing work to show people how to disagree civilly and constructively. The episode has been viewed almost 100,000 times on YouTube, downloaded tens of thousands of times as a podcast, and aired on over 180 public radio stations nationwide, including flagship station WNYC. 

In the episode, the best-selling author and psychotherapist shares what she’s learned through all her years of work, and three key words that can diffuse conflict:
“When you’re fighting for your point of view, for your experience, for the recognition of what you think really happened last night or what your mother really meant, just to be able to say ‘I hear you,’ that diffuses things so powerfully. Recognition of the other and recognition of oneself—responsibility, not shame—goes a long way in working with conflict.”

The relationships are not just romantic, either. Perel tells Open to Debate host John Donvan how her insights can help repair relationships strained due to political differences. She notes that one in four Americans at this moment is cut off from a family member, often due to differing political or culture views. She explains that even the strongest disagreements need not end relationships: 

“The difference between constructive and destructive conflict isn’t empathy; it’s differentiation. It’s actually the ability to live with differences, with multiplicities, with plural truths. It’s what we see in the natural world that we as human beings struggle with. So to differentiate is my ability to hold on to my own ideas, beliefs, practices, while being able to stay connected with you.”

"Couples often come into my office with two completely different versions of the same story," Perel says of the award. "My job is not to help them figure out who is right and who is wrong, but rather to create the space to hold two opposing versions of the story at the same time. That ability to accept that we do not all experience things in the same way is key to maintaining a connection, even while in conflict. This is why I was so honored to collaborate with Open to Debate on this episode and believe so deeply in their mission to bring multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas."

Open to Debate addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. It is the nation's only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. 

Debate works to find common ground: On average, 32% of the Open to Debate audiences changes their mind on contentious topics after hearing a debate. That’s the power of debate done right, and at scale, it can change the direction we’re headed in America. Open to Debate is broadcast as a weekly public radio program, carried on NPR stations including WNYC (#1 in the nation). Open to Debate is made available as a podcast, video series, and digital platform, and records episodes with live audiences nationwide. Visit opentodebate.org to become a member, access an archive of more than 220 debates, and attend live events.