Claim: US deficit caused by Republican tax cuts, not Democratic spending

Question

“The United States does not have a high-spending problem; it has a low-tax problem,” the report concludes.

Answer 1

This is true. The source listed in the article, the Center for American Progress (CAP), which is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute, claims tax cuts are primarily responsible for the recent increase in the United States debt ratio. 

"The current fiscal gap—the growing debt as a percentage of the economy—stems from legislation that cut taxes, disproportionately for the very rich," wrote author Bobby Kogan. 

"Tax cuts have added $10 trillion to the debt since their enactment and are responsible for 57 percent of the increase in the debt ratio since 2001," also wrote Kogan. 

Although this claim is true, low taxes are not the only reason for high debt in the United States. It is a notable event that has recently triggered a large increase. Other recent factors still play a part in the debt, such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the U.S. Treasure Fiscal Data website, as of 2022, the U.S. has gained 20.72 trillion dollars in debt just in the past 20 years, which is almost 2/3 of the overall debt. A recent spike in total debt is shown in multiple graphs. As of this moment in time, the current debt is 31,459,270,694,014. 

"Tax cuts, stimulus programs, increased government spending, and decreased tax revenue caused by widespread unemployment generally account for sharp rises in the national debt." says the site. 

Sources: 

- Tax Cuts Are Primarily Responsible for the Increasing Debt Ratio - end of source includes data sheet

- What is the national debt?

Answer 2

This is true. This article got it's information from an article titled "Tax Cuts Are Primarily Responsible for the Increasing Debt Ratio" from the Center for American Progress (CAP). According to their website, CAP is "an independent, nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action." The original article pretty much copied a bulk of their information from the summary section of the CAP article. CAP found that the "federal debt as a percentage of the U.S. economy is on the path to grow indefinitely" from the “The 2022 Long-Term Budget Outlook” from the Congressional Budget Office. According to the CBO website, the CBO is a congressional organization that produces "independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process." The CAP article also referenced these three sources from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Tax Policy Center, two research organizations for economic issues, that talked about the effects of tax cuts enacted by George Bush and Donald Trump.

Sources:

CAP article: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/tax-cuts-are-primarily-responsible-for-the-increasing-debt-ratio/

CBO article: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57971

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities articles:

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/the-legacy-of-the-2001-and-2003-bush-tax-cuts

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/fundamentally-flawed-2017-tax-law-largely-leaves-low-and-moderate-income

Tax Policy Center article: 

https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/tax-provisions-american-taxpayer-relief-act-2012-atra

Comments

I like how many different sources you used for your fact-check. Your bio on CAP is also very helpful for those who may not know it's bipartisan and offers reliable information.