Bernie Sanders has already proposed $18 trillion in new spending, putting the United States further in debt and add numerous governmental programs, increasing current government expenditures by one-third.
Sanders sees his social programs as being essential to helping the middle class, but has only proposed enough tax increases to pay for about one-third of them.
The self described Democratic socialist’s plan includes a $15 trillion universal healthcare plan, $1.2 trillion Social Security program and a $1 trillion infrastructure programs to rebuild roads, bridges and airports. He has also outlined a multi-billion dollar college affordability plan, paid leave plan, a pension fund plan, a youth jobs initiative and a yet-to-be-announced child care program.
Additional tax proposals would be offered to offset some of the costs of his healthcare program, the Wall Street Journal reported. But, even with the offset costs, Sander’s $18 trillion plan is still significantly more costly for the the average taxpayer than Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s hundreds of billions in proposed federal programming.
Sanders has admitted that when he launched his campaign less than four months ago, he didn’t think that it would have gained as much success as it has so far, but the Vermont senator has attracted many supporters with his populist message of economic equality and routinely holds rallies across the country with thousands of people. In recent polls, Sanders has overtaken Clinton in both New Hampshire in Iowa.
