If you go back and look at when we started running deficits and thus, increases the national debt it was about 1980. Coincidentally, that is also when tax rates started to be cut drastically, especially the top rates. Top rates were 70% at that time. And the rate most middle class was around 28%. Gradually, but systematically, those rates were cut to less than 15% on the low end, 25% in the middle to upper middle and 35 above. You can also see how when Clinton raised the top rate from 38 to 39 they balanced the budget for awhile until Bush cut them again.
That is a lot of revenue that stopped going to the feds, and then spent at the State levels. Spending has never been cut due to growth in population not increased benefits that and war.
Now we have a chance to at least go back to 15/27/39 and instead adding more cuts to taxes thus tightening spending.
I think most people would realize that during this time, spending on important national assets like roads, bridges, rivers, dams, water supply, education has not kept up with needs.
So these tax cuts which are still the prevalent thinking in Washington, have only redistributed income and benefits to the rich at the cost to the middle class. This latest “deal” does nothing to change the downward direction of our country. We can’t have a strong nation without a healthy and well educated middle class.