Federalist Radio Hour It’s The Economy, Stupid
Nov 18, 2025
Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment and economic commentator, joins to tackle the nation’s affordability crisis. He discusses the disastrous effects of Obamacare and critiques the Fed's handling of inflation under Jerome Powell. The conversation highlights the importance of local policies on housing affordability and warns against risky federal housing plans. Kerpen also addresses the implications of 50-year mortgages and stresses the need for regulatory reform to alleviate construction costs and improve housing availability.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Fed Missed Its Own Inflation Target
- Jerome Powell has largely missed his own inflation target over his tenure.
- Kerpen argues Fed policy lacked consistency and failed by its own standards.
COVID Spending Fueled Lasting Inflation
- Massive COVID-era federal spending and Fed balance-sheet expansion caused sustained inflation.
- Kerpen says printed money financed much of the relief and drove prices up about 20% or more.
Expanded Subsidies Distorted Obamacare Enrollment
- Expanding Obamacare subsidies removed income checks and lowered premiums to zero for some.
- That created large sign-ups with high fraud and many enrollees filing no claims.
