# Who's Watching the $170 Billion?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cato-podcast-516193/who-s-watching-the-170-billion
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cato-podcast-516193/who-s-watching-the-170-billion.md
Podcast: [Cato Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/cato-podcast-516193)
Published: 2026-03-17T10:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/whos-watching-the-170-billion
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/5e28e0d8963f166217546493/e/69b87559a0bc40a270e2f177/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/cato-podcast-516193/episodes/who-s-watching-the-170-billion
Duration seconds: 1919

## Resource

A 30-day DHS shutdown hasn't slowed ICE or Border Patrol, because nearly $170 billion in One Big Beautiful Bill funding keeps them running with minimal transparency and almost no congressional oversight. Cato's Dominik Lett and David Bier break down how the shutdown exposes a deeper dysfunction: both parties have turned spending into a ratchet, growing the government they want while refusing to review what the other side built. The appropriations process isn't just broken; Congress has quietly agreed to stop fixing it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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