White House releases $49 trillion cost study of DSA platform ahead of midterms
The White House Council of Economic Advisers issued a report estimating that implementing the Democratic Socialists of America’s policy agenda would cost about $49 trillion over ten years, roughly $355,000 per household.
The White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, led by Christopher Phelan, prepared a report titled “The Real Cost of Socialism in America” that quantifies the fiscal impact of the Democratic Socialists of America’s “Workers Deserve More” platform. The analysis puts the total cost at $49.4 trillion over a decade, driven largely by a no-premium Medicare for All plan, and translates to about $355,000 per American household.
Additional expenses include $3.6 trillion for free college and debt cancellation, $530 billion for ending ICE deportations, $920 billion for a 32-hour work week, $370 billion for Green New Deal measures, and $16 billion for a nationwide rent-cap. A proposed 5 % annual wealth tax on fortunes above $1 billion could raise $3.94 trillion but is projected to lower real wages, increase unemployment, and shrink GDP. The report is being released as Republicans spotlight the DSA’s rising prominence in primary contests and frame it as a major issue for the midterm elections.
Why it matters
The cost estimate frames a major policy debate that could shape voter opinions and legislative priorities in the 2026 midterms.
In this story
