Candidate Agenda Fiscal Snapshot: The Cost of Clinton’s and Sanders’ Debate Proposals

February 9, 2016
Demian Brady
CANDIDATE:
Democratic Debate Analysis

Over the course of 2016 race for the White House, NTU Foundation is tracking the spending-related proposals made by the candidates in each debate – highlighting their potential costs or savings to taxpayers. Below is a summary of the policy changes offered by Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and the net cost of their proposed agendas. The candidates repeated some reforms in multiple debates; the duplicate items are excluded.

Among Clinton’s proposals, NTUF verified cost estimates for one savings proposal and thirteen increases. On net, these policies would boost spending by an average of $135.1 billion per year. Clinton also offered an additional sixteen policies whose costs could not be determined due to lack of specificity.

Sanders made twenty-two spending-related proposals, of which NTUF verified cost estimates for one savings and ten increases. Sanders’ agenda would hike spending by $1.75 trillion per year. NTUF was unable to determine the costs of the 11 remaining policies changes.

Demian Brady

Director of Research

Demian Brady is the Director of Research for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. His responsibilities include producing commentaries and studies on fiscal issues, as well as managing NTUF's BillTally program (which tracks the impact of legislation on the size of the federal budget), State of the Union analysis, and more. Demian's research has been cited in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Times. In addition, he has written on a number of budget-related issues for both NTU and NTUF. Mr. Brady resided and worked in Columbus, Ohio before moving to Washington, DC in 1998. He earned an M.A. in Political Science from American University. He received a B.A. in Russian Area Studies from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. 

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