Can the U.S. ‘Grow’ Its Way Out of Debt? + Taxing Wealth in the Age of AI

This week, host Rebecca Patterson speaks with Natasha Sarin, law professor and cofounder of the Yale Budget Lab, to unpack Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s claim that the United States can grow its way out of record debt, and whether AI can deliver the growth, jobs, and tax revenue needed to make that happen.

Host:

Rebecca Patterson, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Guest:

Natasha Sarin, Professor of Law and Cofounder, The Yale Budget Lab

Mentioned on the Episode:

Natasha Sarin, “No Wonder Everyone’s Rallying Around This Terrible Idea,” New York Times

“Scott Bessent Says US Can ‘Grow Our Way Out’ of $40 Trillion Debt—Economist Says ‘Not Feasible’,” TradingView

“The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036,” Congressional Budget Office

Rebecca Patterson, “What the Treasury’s Buyback Surprise Says About the Bond Market,” CFR.org

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The Spillover is a production of the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the hosts and guests, not of the Council, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.