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Total U.S. public debt tops $34 trillion as Congress heads into funding fight
Reuters ^ | January 2, 2024 | By David Lawder

Posted on 01/02/2024 2:57:53 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

WASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. federal government's total public debt has reached $34 trillion for the first time, the U.S. Treasury Department reported on Tuesday as members of Congress gear up for another series of federal funding battles in coming weeks.

The Daily Treasury Statement for Friday showed that the total public debt outstanding rose to $34.001 trillion from $33.911 on Thursday.

The debt that counts toward the federal debt ceiling rose to $33.89 trillion on Friday from $33.794 trillion on Thursday. This "debt subject to limit" category excludes the unamortized discount on Treasury bills and zero coupon bonds, debt issued by the Federal Financing Bank and guaranteed debt of certain other agencies.

The milestone comes shortly after the federal debt topped $33 trillion in September amid rising federal deficits fueled by falling tax revenues and rising federal expenditures.

Congress returns to Washington next week to tackle Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 deadlines for settling government spending through September, amid Republican demands to reduce fiscal 2024 discretionary spending below caps agreed in June. Lawmakers also hope to pass emergency aid for Ukraine and Israel, possibly with unrelated U.S. border security provisions attached.

Failure to approve the one-dozen fiscal 2024 spending bills would plunge Washington agencies into shutdown mode. But reaching compromise could become more difficult with November presidential and congressional elections coming quickly into focus.

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog group, called the $34 trillion federal debt figure "a truly depressing achievement," attributing it to political leaders' unwillingness to make difficult fiscal choices.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bidenlegacy; bidenomics; debt; deficit; fjb; inflation; nationaldebt; usdebt
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1 posted on 01/02/2024 2:57:53 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

To the moon, Alice!


2 posted on 01/02/2024 3:00:44 PM PST by ARW
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

A trillion a year in interest.

Pretty soon they will be talking about real numbers.


3 posted on 01/02/2024 3:02:16 PM PST by Vermont Lt (Don’t vote for anyone over 70 years old. Get rid of the geriatric politicians.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

$40 Trillion right around the corner!


4 posted on 01/02/2024 3:02:45 PM PST by Deo volente ("When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God's creation." Pres. Trump)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

34 trillion in debt and the left still thinks we underspend on welfare!


5 posted on 01/02/2024 3:03:42 PM PST by TexasFreeper2009
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To: Vermont Lt

If they saved ten million dollars it would not make the slightest dent.

Congress might as well just throw in the towel and double the budget.

It would not make the slightest difference in the ending to the farce.


6 posted on 01/02/2024 3:04:42 PM PST by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

7 posted on 01/02/2024 3:04:49 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Biden better call Ukraine and tell them he wants his money back.

Pipe dream #1836284058


8 posted on 01/02/2024 3:05:42 PM PST by Vaduz
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The U.S government doesn’t give 2 💩 about the debt. They’re never paying it back and they’ll just keep piling it on. In 10 years or less it will double and they still won’t care.


9 posted on 01/02/2024 3:08:31 PM PST by Scott from the Left Coast (“We should not assume civilization is robust”)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The GOPee is always the patsy when it comes to political “fights”.


10 posted on 01/02/2024 3:08:52 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The interest on the debt alone is a Trillion dollars. That is enough to pay for all of America’s Carriers and support ships and crew. With plenty left over.


11 posted on 01/02/2024 3:09:29 PM PST by Nateman (If the Pedo Profit Mad Moe (pig pee upon him!) was not the Antichrist then he comes in second.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Republican: There is too much pork in this spending bill!
Democrat: Take a good look. Some of it is for you.
Republican: I vote “aye”.

Same as it ever was. Except this time the debt cannot be managed.
So off the cliff we go.


12 posted on 01/02/2024 3:14:37 PM PST by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: Paladin2

The Canadian pattern is that the “conservatives” take the political hit for implementing a VAT in order to keep the debt bubble going for a few more years.

Liberals get the political benefit from the spending.

“Conservatives” take the hit for being the tax collectors for the Welfare State.


13 posted on 01/02/2024 3:18:36 PM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

remember kiddies...all of these years of politicians spending the American people blind, sick and poor, it was YOU, the voter who watched while rome burned. between to innured, the ignorant and the apathetic, it was YOU... the American voter who didn’t do the homework or the leg work necessary to make it to the polls and vote for the candidates most likely to NOT screw you but, as always, you voted for the people your TV or internet TOLD you to vote for to “protect democracy” from those who would have you think for yourself and make your own decisions based on your own knowledge and not popularity or letter. but ain’t nobody got time for that qwap.


14 posted on 01/02/2024 3:19:27 PM PST by Qwapisking ("IF the Second goes first the First goes second" L.Star )
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To: Nateman

> The interest on the debt alone is a Trillion dollars. <

And to make things worse, China owns rough $860 billion of US Treasury debt. So a good chunk of that interest payment goes right to the ChiComs.


15 posted on 01/02/2024 3:25:27 PM PST by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Well, it’s January and we get to find out if Mike Johnson was biologically equipped to father his children.


16 posted on 01/02/2024 3:30:47 PM PST by lurk (u)
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To: Leaning Right

Who is getting the interest on 33 trillion?


17 posted on 01/02/2024 3:35:09 PM PST by eyedigress (Trump is my President!)
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To: Paladin2

It’s time to stop calling the Republican establishment patsy, stupid or losers. THEY ARE COMPLICIT in the corruption — running up debt, open borders and using our foreign policy to enrich themselves and their big money donors.


18 posted on 01/02/2024 3:37:17 PM PST by Kazan
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To: eyedigress

> Who is getting the interest on 33 trillion? <

Here you go:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/201881/holders-of-the-us-public-debt/


19 posted on 01/02/2024 3:38:12 PM PST by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

And California is giving free health care to the entire world, just step over the border, which means California will soon hit up the fed for money


20 posted on 01/02/2024 3:38:58 PM PST by GrandJediMasterYoda (As long as Hillary Clinton remains free, the USA will never have equal justice under the law)
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