Study: Sanders’ economic plan piles $18T on federal debt

WASHINGTON – A nonpartisan analysis finds Sen. Bernie Sanders’ tax and spending proposals would provide new levels of health and education benefits for American families.

But they’d also blow an $18-trillion hole in federal deficits over 10 years, piling on so much debt they would damage the economy.

That sobering assessment comes from twin studies released Monday by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and the Urban Institute Health Policy Center, two well-known Washington think tanks.

Sanders would raise taxes by more than $15 trillion over 10 years, with most of that paid by upper-income earners.

But the bottom line is his proposed government-run health care system, along with free undergraduate college, enhanced Social Security, family and medical leave and other new programs would spend far more.