Episode
US Debt To Hit 175% of GDP by 2056 — Expert Says Taxes Won't Come Close to Fixing It | The States
- Podcast
- The States
- Published
- Jul 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2876
- Processing state
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Summary
Congress debates budget reform, taxes can't make up U.S. deficit according to the Tax Foundation, New Orleans' prosecutor drops charges against Louisiana AG, and Nashville places moratorium on data centers. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee examined proposals to prevent government shutdowns, including a bipartisan Lankford-Hassan bill that would require Congress to stay in session seven days a week focused solely on appropriations until funding is resolved. Tax Foundation Chief Economist William McBride said the U.S. is spending more than $1 trillion annually on debt interest with debt-to-GDP near 100% and projected to reach 175% by 2056, driven primarily by Social Security and Medicare growth that outpaces the economy. McBride said no realistic combination of tax increases — including wealth taxes, higher income tax rates, payroll tax cap removal, or a value-added tax — could close the gap without addressing entitlement spending directly, likely through a bipartisan fiscal commission. Also, in this episode: Charges against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, stemming from a dispute over a New Orleans court clerk consolidation law and a sixteen-count indictment alleging public intimidation and malfeasance, were dropped by a special prosecutor. Murrill and Governor Jeff Landry are calling for a federal investigation into the officials who pursued the indictment, and Murrill said she'll seek taxpayer reimbursement for roughly $250,000 in legal fees. The Nashville Metropolitan Council approved a moratorium on new data center development until December 1 and adopted new distance rules from schools, churches, and the zoo, following opposition to a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo and Fisk University. Mayor Freddie O'Connell is considering us…