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What's fueling all of the debt for the federal government?

NPR | By Scott Horsley,
Scott Simon
Published March 28, 2026 at 8:05 AM EDT

The federal debt continues to grow, topping $39 trillion this month. Like a shopper who buys more than he earns every week, the nation's credit card bill is compounding. Just paying the interest now costs more than every other government program except Social Security.

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Scott Horsley
Scott Horsley is NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent. He reports on ups and downs in the national economy as well as fault lines between booming and busting communities.
See stories by Scott Horsley
Scott Simon
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.
See stories by Scott Simon