Economics
Biden the Former Deficit Hawk Wants to Be Biden the Big Spender
The Democratic nominee envisions trillions of dollars in new outlays to address the environment and inequality.
Biden
Photographer: Tom Brenner/The New York TimesThis article is for subscribers only.
Joe Biden, who’s spent decades warning about the dangers of budget deficits, will inherit one of the biggest in U.S. history if he becomes president—and he’ll be in no rush to pare it back.
That’s the signal the Democratic candidate is sending after his campaign rolled out a $3.5 trillion economic program over the past month. It promises to invest in clean energy and caregiving, buy more made-in-America goods, and start narrowing the country’s racial wealth gaps.