2025 Deficit comes in at 1.97 Trillion. This Is Way Out of Hand

[HikerGuy83]

Well.....this is great news.

The 2025 deficit was 1.97 trillion. Total revenue was 4.69 trillion which means our deficit was 42% of total revenue and 29.5% of total spending.

I don't have an actual figure, but you can count on 1 trillion of spending on debt servicing alone. 1 FREAKING TRILLION.

In 2024 the deficit was 1.83 trillion.

AND NOBODY CARES (in government).

This is beyond reprehensible.

Your Guide to America’s Finances

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new guide to America’s finances! #FiscalData

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

Total debt is 37.3 trillion. We'll be over 40 before Trump leaves.

We are selling our kids down the river.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Well.....this is great news.

The 2025 deficit was 1.97 trillion. Total revenue was 4.69 trillion which means our deficit was 42% of total revenue and 29.5% of total spending.

I don't have an actual figure, but you can count on 1 trillion of spending on debt servicing alone. 1 FREAKING TRILLION.

In 2024 the deficit was 1.83 trillion.

AND NOBODY CARES (in government).

This is beyond reprehensible.

Your Guide to America’s Finances

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new guide to America’s finances! #FiscalData

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

Total debt is 37.3 trillion. We'll be over 40 before Trump leaves.

We are selling our kids down the river.

So, what are you going to do about it?

 

[HikerGuy83]

So, what are you going to do about it?

Whine and cry.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Whine and cry.

Typical. What's the plan?

 

[HikerGuy83]

Typical. What's the plan?

There is no plan that I am aware of (that is a real plan).

We are totally screwed when it comes to the deficit, given that we are now paying so much in interest.

The projections for the debt make me want to jump off a cliff (of course I'll be taking Dante and other left wing idiots with me

If it were up to me.

1. Raise medicare tax to match spending.
2. Means test the rich with regards to S.S. benefits
3. Stop COLA on SS until it is balanced out.

That would be year one.

 

[HikerGuy83]

Typical. What's the plan?

I am aware of "broad" plans proposed by some Think Tanks.

Regardless of which one you like....it's going to hurt.

I just picked this up....have not read it yet.

New Plans from Seven Leading Think Tanks Solve the National Debt

“The Solutions Initiative 2024 shows that there is widespread agreement that America’s fiscal challenges are both unsustainable and solvable, and we have many good options to chart a brighter future for our country," said Michael A. Peterson.

www.pgpf.org

 

[Concerned American]

Well.....this is great news.

The 2025 deficit was 1.97 trillion. Total revenue was 4.69 trillion which means our deficit was 42% of total revenue and 29.5% of total spending.

I don't have an actual figure, but you can count on 1 trillion of spending on debt servicing alone. 1 FREAKING TRILLION.

In 2024 the deficit was 1.83 trillion.

AND NOBODY CARES (in government).

This is beyond reprehensible.

Your Guide to America’s Finances

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new guide to America’s finances! #FiscalData

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

Total debt is 37.3 trillion. We'll be over 40 before Trump leaves.

We are selling our kids down the river.

Our kids were sold down the river at least 3 decades ago.

 

[Dekster]

There is no plan that I am aware of (that is a real plan).

We are totally screwed when it comes to the deficit, given that we are now paying so much in interest.

The projections for the debt make me want to jump off a cliff (of course I'll be taking Dante and other left wing idiots with me

If it were up to me.

1. Raise medicare tax to match spending.
2. Means test the rich with regards to S.S. benefits
3. Stop COLA on SS until it is balanced out.

That would be year one.

Social Security is funded by payroll taxes. The excess money they collect is used to buy US bonds that can be sold as needed to fund any shortfalls. It is not funded directly by Congress. Mean testing would add longevity to the program but really wouldn't affect the government's general budget as they money you saved would just be used to buy more bonds. About $2.5T of the federal debt is held for just that purpose, as well as another trillion for government retirement benefits. Total about $7.5T of the national debt is held directly or indirectly by the government in intragovernmental holdings.

 

[HikerGuy83]

Our kids were sold down the river at least 3 decades ago.

Not true.

Clinton had 3 years of surplus. And the trajectory at the time said that Bush could potentially pay the 5 trillion debt off.
Didn't happen. Instead he jumped into a bunch of wars we didn't need. I'll never forgive him for that.

The deficits took off on his watch and have been climbing ever since.

 

[Concerned American]

I am aware of "broad" plans proposed by some Think Tanks.

Regardless of which one you like....it's going to hurt.

I just picked this up....have not read it yet.

New Plans from Seven Leading Think Tanks Solve the National Debt

“The Solutions Initiative 2024 shows that there is widespread agreement that America’s fiscal challenges are both unsustainable and solvable, and we have many good options to chart a brighter future for our country," said Michael A. Peterson.

www.pgpf.org

When a person allows themselves to get into overwhelming debt, there is going to be pain and the longer it is put off, the worse the pain will be. The ONLY way out of debt is to spend less than you earn and quit throwing money away at interest. You might as well just flush it down with your morning constitutional. Our brain trust in DC doesn't have the common sense or desire to make the country better, they just want to be reelected. Will Rogers said it best---"If you find yourself in a hole, QUIT DIGGING."

 

[HikerGuy83]

Social Security is funded by payroll taxes. The excess money they collect is used to buy US bonds that can be sold as needed to fund any shortfalls. It is not funded directly by Congress. Mean testing would add longevity to the program but really wouldn't affect the government's general budget as they money you saved would just be used to buy more bonds. About $2.5T of the federal debt is held for just that purpose, as well as another trillion for government retirement benefits. Total about $7.5T of the national debt is held directly or indirectly by the government in intragovernmental holdings.

As I understand it, there are no more excess funds being collected.

They are at a deficit and when the trust fund runs out, they will probably start paying from the general fund (that or cut benefits by 25 to 30%).

Means testing is to slow that down. I'd even raise SS taxes to get back on a no loss track. If we promised it, we should pay it. But we should not be asking our kids to pay it.

If you have a link for the rest of your info...great.

 

[Concerned American]

Clinton had 3 years of surplus.

Clinton had surpluses and not one penny went to the debt. In fact, the debt INCREASED in each one of those years with a republican congress. As for Bush, he was worse for the country than any other potus besides Biden and Carter and his daddy wasn't any better. GHWB sold us down the river to China.

U.S. National Debt by Year

The U.S. national debt is the total of what the federal government owes creditors. The U.S. has always carried debt, but the total has expanded rapidly since 2008.

www.investopedia.com

 

[elektra]

There is no plan that I am aware of (that is a real plan).

We are totally screwed when it comes to the deficit, given that we are now paying so much in interest.

The projections for the debt make me want to jump off a cliff (of course I'll be taking Dante and other left wing idiots with me

If it were up to me.

1. Raise medicare tax to match spending.
2. Means test the rich with regards to S.S. benefits
3. Stop COLA on SS until it is balanced out.

It would be smarter to create more jobs

It would be smarter to make government smaller

 

[HikerGuy83]

It would be smarter to create more jobs

It would be smarter to make government smaller

Social Security
Medicare
Defense
Interest

Are the biggest costs.

Cutting any of the first three would be a real problem.

Interest can't be cut.

We don't have a lot of room to reduce spending (but we should reduce what we can).

 

[Concerned American]

It would be smarter to create more jobs

That's what Clinton did during his surplus years--among other things, but just saying that is misleading because Clinton loaded the country up with H1B visa holders his last couple of years for the dot coms. It's a mess and the bottom line is we HAVE TO PAY OFF THE DEBT and quit just talking about it and kicking the can down the road.

 

[HikerGuy83]

Clinton had surpluses and not one penny went to the debt. In fact, the debt INCREASED in each one of those years with a republican congress. As for Bush, he was worse for the country than any other potus besides Biden and Carter and his daddy wasn't any better. GHWB sold us down the river to China.

U.S. National Debt by Year

The U.S. national debt is the total of what the federal government owes creditors. The U.S. has always carried debt, but the total has expanded rapidly since 2008.

www.investopedia.com

You are preaching to the choir.

Both Bush's were awful.

 

[Concerned American]

Social Security
Medicare
Defense
Interest

Are the biggest costs.

Cutting any of the first three would be a real problem.

Interest can't be cut.

We don't have a lot of room to reduce spending (but we should reduce what we can).

ID is facing an unconstitutional debt this year and Brad Little has instructed ALL departments except education to cut their budgets by 3%. It is said that it will satisfy the deficit. If we did that on a federal level, it would be a start. DOGE was a move in the right direction but more needs to be done. Positive moves toward reducing the debt may result from these companies that are returning to the US and new businesses that are locating here will definitely help with more taxpayers as well.

 

[Dekster]

As I understand it, there are no more excess funds being collected.

They are at a deficit and when the trust fund runs out, they will probably start paying from the general fund (that or cut benefits by 25 to 30%).

Means testing is to slow that down. I'd even raise SS taxes to get back on a no loss track. If we promised it, we should pay it. But we should not be asking our kids to pay it.

If you have a link for the rest of your info...great.

I am all for raising SS withholding on both the employer and the employee side. I have not seen the revised projections on the SS trust fund since the Big Beautiful Bill reportedly will shorten its insolvency by a year. My guess is that eventually they will raid the disability trust fund to fund SS as that thing is projected to be solvent forever and a day.

If I wanted to reduce the federal deficit, I would begin with no more federal funding of highways, raise taxes beginning with treating long term gains as regular income, eliminate the earned income and SALT credits and depreciation deductions, and do away with the National Guard and VA medical centers. Just those things would probably at least put us back into a balanced budget. I mean it is kind of crazy to me that we spend $400B a year on VA medical care when those people could just as readily be treated by their local hospitals and doctors.

 

[candycorn]

Well.....this is great news.

The 2025 deficit was 1.97 trillion. Total revenue was 4.69 trillion which means our deficit was 42% of total revenue and 29.5% of total spending.

I don't have an actual figure, but you can count on 1 trillion of spending on debt servicing alone. 1 FREAKING TRILLION.

In 2024 the deficit was 1.83 trillion.

AND NOBODY CARES (in government).

This is beyond reprehensible.

Your Guide to America’s Finances

Check out @FiscalService Fiscal Data’s new guide to America’s finances! #FiscalData

fiscaldata.treasury.gov

Total debt is 37.3 trillion. We'll be over 40 before Trump leaves.

We are selling our kids down the river.

Martial law is expensive.

Who knew?

 

[candycorn]

It would be smarter to create more jobs

Businesses can't do that--they are paying tariffs.

It would be smarter to make government smaller

1/2 the spending goes to defense. We've opened a sixth branch of the defense department. We're designing subs and jets that are better than anything anyone else will have for 3 decades.

And the only things being targeted are folks in American cities.