Ben Harris
@econharris.bsky.social
Brookings VP and Director of Economic Studies. Former Assistant Treasury Secretary and Chief Economist to VP Biden. Co-author of The Retirement Challenge.
@wendyedelberg.bsky.social and I recently joined @fletcherschool.bsky.social Professor Michael Klein on the @econofact.bsky.social podcast for a chat about the consequences of a rising national debt, and America’s prospects for long-run fiscal solvency. Listen here: econofact.org/podcast/long...
Long Run Fiscal Solvency and Its Consequences | Econofact Chats
Wendy Edelberg and Ben Harris on the likely consequences of rising debt, and its impact on people’s retirement, especially if there are cuts to Social Security.
econofact.org
April 14, 2025 at 3:52 PM
@wendyedelberg.bsky.social and I recently joined @fletcherschool.bsky.social Professor Michael Klein on the @econofact.bsky.social podcast for a chat about the consequences of a rising national debt, and America’s prospects for long-run fiscal solvency. Listen here: econofact.org/podcast/long...
ICYMI, I recently discussed the future of Trump’s tariffs on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power," arguing that the tariff pause reflected the power of the bond market as a referee on policy. Watch here: www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...
Bloomberg: The China Show 04/11/2025
“Bloomberg: The China Show” is your definitive source for news and analysis on the world's second-biggest economy. From politics and policy to tech and trends, Annabelle Droulers and David Ingles give...
www.bloomberg.com
April 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM
ICYMI, I recently discussed the future of Trump’s tariffs on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power," arguing that the tariff pause reflected the power of the bond market as a referee on policy. Watch here: www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...
In a new piece, @robin-j-brooks.bsky.social and I document the origins of Russia’s shadow fleet. Tracking the ownership history of 75 sanctioned ships, we find that nearly 60% of them previously had European owners. Read it here:
Where did Russia’s shadow fleet come from?
Most of Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers comes from Western companies. This gives Europe leverage, Robin Brooks and Ben Harris explain.
www.brookings.edu
February 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
In a new piece, @robin-j-brooks.bsky.social and I document the origins of Russia’s shadow fleet. Tracking the ownership history of 75 sanctioned ships, we find that nearly 60% of them previously had European owners. Read it here:
Today, Brookings released a report I wrote with Neil Mehrotra and Eric So modeling the impact of AI on old-age entitlement expenditures like Medicare and Social Security. Read it here: www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
The fiscal frontier
Benjamin H. Harris, Neil Mehrotra, and Eric So simulate the impact of AI on old-age entitlement spending via health care channels.
www.brookings.edu
February 20, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Today, Brookings released a report I wrote with Neil Mehrotra and Eric So modeling the impact of AI on old-age entitlement expenditures like Medicare and Social Security. Read it here: www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
Check out today's @nytimes op-ed by @wendyedelberg.bsky.social and me arguing that the Trump Administration's reckless approach to fiscal policy raises the risk of a fiscal and financial crisis:
Opinion | How Trump Could Get Us Into a Debt Crisis
A blowup will be sparked not by government spending but from political malpractice.
www.nytimes.com
February 18, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Check out today's @nytimes op-ed by @wendyedelberg.bsky.social and me arguing that the Trump Administration's reckless approach to fiscal policy raises the risk of a fiscal and financial crisis:
US Debt is ~100% of GDP, and the debt limit is getting closer. Congress is now marking-up a budget that will take on trillions in new debt. What are the true costs of debt? And should we worry about a fiscal crisis? Read my new paper with @wendyedelberg.bsky.social and Louise Sheiner here:
Assessing the risks and costs of the rising US federal debt
While imminent fiscal crisis is unlikely, the large and growing federal debt presents a number of long-term risks.
www.brookings.edu
February 12, 2025 at 5:47 PM
US Debt is ~100% of GDP, and the debt limit is getting closer. Congress is now marking-up a budget that will take on trillions in new debt. What are the true costs of debt? And should we worry about a fiscal crisis? Read my new paper with @wendyedelberg.bsky.social and Louise Sheiner here:
In a new blog, Robin Brooks and I show that January 10th sanctions on 183 Russian tankers cover a massive 75 percent of oil exports from Russia’s Pacific ports. Despite targeting substantially more ships than all previous Russia sanctions combined, oil prices have barely risen.
More sanctions on Russian oil tankers
Robin Brooks and Ben Harris investigate the oil price effects of the United States' January 2025 sanctions on Russian oil tankers.
www.brookings.edu
January 30, 2025 at 7:09 PM
In a new blog, Robin Brooks and I show that January 10th sanctions on 183 Russian tankers cover a massive 75 percent of oil exports from Russia’s Pacific ports. Despite targeting substantially more ships than all previous Russia sanctions combined, oil prices have barely risen.