....just word.

Carry on.

This is more than a tripling just since January 2001. The events Bernie lists in the OP are all since then, so yes, he's probably right.

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt/current

But the national debt will always increase. No president, since the 1950s, has been able to lower the national debt from where it was at the start of their term to where it ended up at the end of their term.

Eisenhower inherited a 266,071,061,638.57 debt in 1953 when he took office and when he left in 1961, it was 288,970,938,610.05.

Kennedy inherited a 288,970,938,610.05 debt in 1961 and, at the time of his assassination, it was 305,859,632,996.41.

LBJ inherited a 305,859,632,996.41 debt in 1963 and, when he left office in 1969, it was 353,720,253,841.41.

Nixon inherited a 353,720,253,841.41 debt in 1969 and, when he resigned from office in 1974, it was 475,059,815,731.55.

Ford inherited a 475,059,815,731.55 debt in 1974 and, when he left office in 1977, it was 698,840,000,000.00 (rounded).

Carter inherited a 698,840,000,000.00 debt in 1977 and, when he left office in 1981, it was 997,855,000,000.00.

Reagan inherited a 997,855,000,000.00 debt in 1981 and, when he left office in 1989, it was 2,857,430,960,187.32.

H.W. Bush inherited a 2,857,430,960,187.32 debt in 1989 and, when he left office in 1993, it was 4,411,488,883,139.38.

Clinton inherited a 4,411,488,883,139.38 debt in 1993 and, when he left office in 2001, it was 5,807,463,412,200.06.

Bush inherited a 5,807,463,412,200.06 debt in 2001 and, when he left office in 2009, it was 11,909,829,003,511.75.

Obama inherited a 11,909,829,003,511.75 debt in 2009 and, currently, it's 17,824,071,380,733.82.

National Debt as Percent of GDP
January 1, 2001: 56.8 % (19 days before Clinton left office and Bush took office)
June 5, 2015: 102.8 % (18,153 / 17,665)

In 14.5 years the debt AS A PERCENT OF GDP has almost doubled (1.80 X)
Italy with a debt to GDP ratio of 120% (Feb. 26, 2013) is one of the five "PIIGS" countries of the European debt crisis. Thanks to the unpaid-for tax cuts and 2 wars on the national credit card, the Medicare Part D give-away to the pharmaceutical companies and the Great Recession, G.W. Bush!

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/GFDEGDQ188S?cid=5
http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/GFDEGDQ188S.txt

National Debt as Percent of GDP
62.7% 1993 Q1 - When Bush I left office and Clinton took office
54.9% 2001 Q1 - When Clinton left office and Bush II took office
77.4% 2009 Q1 - When Bush II left office and Obama took office
102.8% 2015 Q1 - latest on this graph

The national debt is currently 18,153 B$.
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt/current

Whether it's 62% or 102% - it's still a shit-ton of money and we'll never really make a dent in it.

Last edited Mon Jun 22, 2015, 08:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Fortunately interest on the national debt is not a big percent of GDP, because interest rates are so incredibly low. When interest rates get back to average levels historically, it is going to suck up a lot of tax revenue that could be going to better purposes than paying foreign bondholders and the top 1%.

Tell Greece their national debt doesn't matter.

Surely not the same banks that we bailed out?

Tax revenue that go to paying interest on the debt -- mostly the top 1% and foreign bondholders -- is less for programs that help the rest of us.

... by the people who can least afford it and who did not cause these huge deficits.

All Democrats should agree with this.