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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Tue Jan 2, 2018, 12:22 PM Jan 2018

Former Treasury Secretary Lew Says Tax Cuts Will Leave the U.S. Broke

Source: Bloomberg News




By Marcus Bensasson
January 2, 2018, 7:53 AM EST

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew said the Trump administration’s decision to add a significant amount of debt through last year’s tax legislation is leaving the country broke.

“It’s a ticking time bomb in terms of the debt,” Lew said in a Bloomberg Radio interview with Tom Keene and Jonathan Ferro. “You cannot run a fiscal policy by spending trillions of dollars you don’t have at a time that the economy is doing well.”

Having chosen to make tax policy without including Democrats in any of the conversation, now the administration probably can’t rally Republicans in Congress to do the basic business of government, such as making sure the country doesn’t default on debt and children don’t get thrown off health insurance, he said.

“The next shoe to drop is going to be an attack on the most vulnerable in our society,” Lew said. “How are we going to pay for the deficit caused by the tax cut? We are going to see proposals to cut health insurance for poor people, to take basic food support away from poor people, to attack Medicare and Social Security. One could not have made up a more cynical strategy.”

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-02/former-treasury-secretary-lew-says-tax-cuts-leaving-u-s-broke

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Former Treasury Secretary Lew Says Tax Cuts Will Leave the U.S. Broke (Original Post) DonViejo Jan 2018 OP
Mission Accomplished. Putin must be so proud of himself. nt Irish_Dem Jan 2018 #1
That's the point QED Jan 2018 #2
interestingly enough, putin also would like nothing more than to drown us in the bathtub. unblock Jan 2018 #5
Breaking America madashelltoo Jan 2018 #3
Not to worry. They'll leave SS in place for those who "deserve it." CrispyQ Jan 2018 #4
"One could not have made up a more cynical strategy. Merlot Jan 2018 #6
Depression historian. The GOP tax bill is straight out of 1929. iluvtennis Jan 2018 #7
That Is that plan strangedaysindeed Jan 2018 #8
German news said ... left-of-center2012 Jan 2018 #9
8 years of shrinking deficits under Obama Abouttime Jan 2018 #10
This is why Dems need a long term political strategy. Yavin4 Jan 2018 #11

madashelltoo

(1,698 posts)
3. Breaking America
Tue Jan 2, 2018, 12:29 PM
Jan 2018

Was his purpose. Paul Ryan shared a portion of this vision and has been gleeful in his ability to help. I just want to live long enough to see them get theirs.

CrispyQ

(36,478 posts)
4. Not to worry. They'll leave SS in place for those who "deserve it."
Tue Jan 2, 2018, 12:31 PM
Jan 2018

If you can walk, you will have to work until you drop. Our government has been co-opted by some of the most craven humans on the planet.

21st century feudalism is the goal. Leisure time, health care, education, nice things, will be for the rich only.

 

strangedaysindeed

(226 posts)
8. That Is that plan
Tue Jan 2, 2018, 04:30 PM
Jan 2018

The next shoe to drop is going to be an attack on the most vulnerable in our society,” Lew said. “How are we going to pay for the deficit caused by the tax cut? We are going to see proposals to cut health insurance for poor people, to take basic food support away from poor people, to attack Medicare and Social Security. One could not have made up a more cynical strategy.”

ballooning the deficit is a feature, not a bug!

but, don't worry, the next depression will be great (again), we'll all have more leisure time to starve with our families.

left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
9. German news said ...
Tue Jan 2, 2018, 04:59 PM
Jan 2018

I posted a couple weeks ago that the German international news (in English on cable)
was reporting the Trump tax cuts (and adding a trillion dollars to our debt)
will bankrupt the United States.

 

Abouttime

(675 posts)
10. 8 years of shrinking deficits under Obama
Wed Jan 3, 2018, 08:11 AM
Jan 2018

Obama cleaned up 8 years of out of control spending by babybush and led the economy into prosperity which tRump is taking credit for.
Reagan and both Bushes added trillions to our national debt and ruined our economy for the middle class. Clinton and Obama both cut deficits while growing the economy and adding jobs.

Yavin4

(35,442 posts)
11. This is why Dems need a long term political strategy.
Wed Jan 3, 2018, 08:27 AM
Jan 2018

It's not enough to re-take congress in 2018 nor will it be enough to re-take the White House in 2020 because that Democratic government will be struggling to pay off the debts. Dems need to mimic what California did. Take over the entire government with a veto proof majority and then correct the errors for the long haul.

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