US federal debt topped $40 tln on Tuesday, having doubled in under 10 years.
Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget,
urging lawmakers to act swiftly, saying no one knows how many more such
milestones the US can tolerate and that domestic voter concern, market warnings,
foreign competition or the costs of inaction should prompt action. She flagged
other warning signs, notably a rising debt-to-GDP ratio; national debt was about
122% of GDP ($31.87 tln) in Q1 2026.
