WASHINGTON DC (February 12, 2019) — The US Treasury confirmed today that the gross US national debt topped $22 trillion for the first time in history yesterday, February 11, 2019. Figures published daily by the government show the gross debt at $22.013 trillion. The following is a statement from the Campaign to Fix the Debt Co-Chairs Judd Gregg and Edward Rendell:
"This milestone is another sad reminder of the inexcusable tab our nation’s leaders continue to run up and will leave for the next generation.
"With deficits rising, and gross debt scheduled to increase by more than $1 trillion annually forever into the future, now is the time Congress must take action to put us on a more sustainable path.
"The fiscal recklessness over past years has been shocking, with few willing to step up with a real plan. We need responsible leadership to fix the debt, not a worsening of partisanship."