drives national debt to 80 percent of GDP
According to this site, Senator Judd is understating the problem.
In 2010, US GDP is $14.7 trillion.
US national debt is 98% of GDP = $14.4 trillion.
In January 1940, on the eve of WWII, national debt was 42% of GDP.
From 1969 through 1982, national debt was about 35% of GDP.
The only time it was ever higher than today resulted from the peak of WWII spending: from 1944 to 1947.