National debt marks new milestone
The Hill · C · trust 42/100
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The U.S. national debt crossed $40 trillion on Tuesday, according to newly released data from the Treasury Department.
It marks a key milestone for the U.S., which has seen its total outstanding debt double over less than a decade . This sum first crossed the $20 trillion mark in late 2017 and reached $39 trillion just five months ago in March.
Fiscal hawks immediately slammed the development. Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, called on lawmakers to take action, arguing that “no one knows how many more of these milestones America can take.”
“Whatever motivation our elected officials need to find to finally take action – whether the worries of their constituents back home, the alarm signaled by financial markets, competition from abroad, or the consequences of failing to act – they ought to find it soon,” she said in a statement.
She argued “other warning signs are flashing too,” pointing to the rising ratio between the debt and the size of the economy.
As of the first quarter of 2026, the national debt represented about 122 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, which sat at $31.87 trillion.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com .
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The U.S. national debt crossed $40 trillion on Tuesday, according to newly released data from the Treasury Department.
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