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Report: 3 GOP candidates would up debt

Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich (L-R) stand on stage before the start of the Republican Presidential Debate at the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona, February 22, 2012. UPI /Art Foxall
Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich (L-R) stand on stage before the start of the Republican Presidential Debate at the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona, February 22, 2012. UPI /Art Foxall | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Policies backed by three of the four remaining GOP presidential candidates would increase the national debt trillions of dollars, U.S. Budget Watch said.

U.S. Budget Watch, a project of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, released a report Thursday indicating debt would increase most under policies supported by former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

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Both propose big tax cuts without spending reductions to cover the lost revenue, the report said.

Under Santorum's proposed policies, the national debt would climb by about $4.5 trillion by 2021 and under Gingrich's proposed policies by $7 trillion during the same time span.

Romney's proposed policies would add $2.6 trillion to the debt by 2021, Budget Watch said.

Of the four major Republican candidates, only Texas Rep. Ron Paul's proposed policies would cut future borrowing, by about $2 trillion, the report said.

"As we enter the thick of the campaign season, no one can ignore the debt issue," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which supports debt-reduction efforts. "This report is designed to inform the public on the fiscal policies put forward by each of the Republican candidates and stimulate debate on this crucial topic."

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The Washington Post said the report is the first independent attempt to measure the impact of GOP candidates' proposed policies on the nation's $15.4 trillion debt.

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