How much would the tax and spending bill raise deficits?
Core argument: CBO estimates H.R. 1 would increase deficits by $2.8 trillion over 2025–2034 relative to its January 2025 baseline, after accounting for the bill's economic and budgetary effects.
Relative to CBO’s January 2025 baseline: the economic effects of H.R. 1 would decrease the primary deficit by $85 billion over the 2025-2034 period, primarily reflecting an increase in economic output. The bill would increase interest rates, which would boost interest payments on the baseline projection of federal debt by $441 billion. Accounting for those budgetary effects, CBO’s estimate is that H.R. 1 would increase deficits by $2.8 trillion over the 2025-2034 period. Real GDP would increase by an average of 0.5% over the period. [The bill] would have small positive effects on the level of TFP. On average over the period, the bill would increase the level of TFP by less than one-tenth of one percent. The changes in TFP growth would slightly increase average annual potential GDP growth over the entire 2025-2034 period. Several factors would have small positive effects on TFP growth, including the bill’s effects on domestic oil and gas production, physical infrastructure investment, investment in research and development, permitting requirements, and spectrum auctions. Other effects of the bill would have small negative effects on TFP growth, including changes in educational attainment and a reduction in the number of individuals working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that stems from changes in higher education and immigration policy.

