the words "national debt." and "the washington post" is reporting that house republican leader kevin mccarthy has said in private that republicans lost the house because of their policies, specifically trying to take health insurance away from people with pre-existing conditions. kevin mccarthy has a way of saying things in private that he never says in public. during the presidential campaign, he was recorded in private saying he believes that donald trump is paid by vladimir putin. democrats agree with kevin mccarthy that republicans lost on the issues, and it looks like democratic presidential candidates now have donald trump's failed promises on the national debt to use against him in their campaigns. now, this is when we want to hear from an economist who has worked on these issues at the presidential level. and we are lucky now to have austin goolsbee with us. he is a professor of economics at the university of chicago, who was the chairman of president obama's council of economic advisers. and ezra levin is with us.