US National Debt on Brink of Passing $40 Trillion | Balance of Power 08/18/2026

“Balance of Power: Late Edition” focuses on the intersection of politics and global business. On today’s show, Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York discusses her legislation aimed at raising the capital gains tax exclusion for seniors selling longtime homes. Kareem Crayton, vice president of the Brennan Center’s Washington, DC office, raises concerns about the Justice Department’s plan to deploy election monitors to polling sites. Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, says bringing down deficits is the “single most important thing” policymakers can do to improve affordability in a lasting way.

Chapters:

00:02:03 Bloomberg’s Jeff Mason on US Canada Tariff Deadline
00:04:50 Bloomberg’s Nia-Malika Henderson on Midterm Primaries: Florida, Alaska & Wyoming
00:09:11 Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) on the Primaries Underway
00:12:16 Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) on Capital Gains Tax & Housing Affordability
00:16:07 Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) on US Debt Nears $40 Trillion
00:20:03 Kareem Crayton, Vice President of the Brennan Center’s Washington, DC Office, on DOJ Plans to Deploy 1,000 Election Monitors
00:21:10 Kareem Crayton on DOJ Push for State Voter Data
00:22:01 Kareem Crayton on Mail-In Voting & the Voting Rights Act
00:27:02 Power Moves: Top Financial Moves
00:28:50 Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, on US National $40 Trillion Debt
00:30:20 Maya MacGuineas on Affordability vs. Fiscal Responsibility
00:34:46 Maya MacGuineas on How Close Is the US to a Debt Crisis?
00:36:42 Maya MacGuineas on How Federal Debt Impacts Affordability
00:42:23 Political Panel Reacts: Is Iran Becoming a Quagmire?, Florida Primaries & the Future of MAGA, Alaska Senate Race & Ranked-Choice Voting
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