During the third and final presidential debate, Hillary Clinton declared several times she wouldn't add a penny to the debt. The Tax Foundation and the Tax Policy Center both estimate that Clinton’s tax plan will increase federal tax revenue by $1.4 trillion over the next decade, which amounts to an average of $140 billion per year.
After analyzing her spending proposals, NTUF determined her plans would boost outlays by $221 billion per year. That is an $81 billion annual gap between her tax plan and spending hikes. That’s a lot more than a penny.
In preparing this analysis, NTUF’s researchers reviewed Clinton’s campaign website, transcripts of debates, and news sources to gather information on any proposals that could have a net impact on spending. We identified six proposals that would reduce outlays on an annual basis by $11 billion and 64 policies that increase spending by $231 billion.The final price tag could ultimately be even higher. Unfortunately, NTUF could not provide cost or savings estimates for 85 of Clinton’s budget proposals due to their lack of detail. For example, there are several times where Clinton calls to increase the budget for a specific program without specifying a funding level such as when she said she “will support and expand funding for the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Program to ensure advocacy services for individuals with mental health conditions.”
Similar reports were also compiled for the agendas of Donald Trump and Gary Johnson.