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Spending Is Not Tied to Results
- Federal outlays are projected to reach 23.4% of GDP in 2026, well above the
50-year average, and current law does not bring them back down
- Mandatory programs grow on autopilot, with no regular review of whether they
are achieving their goals
- Discretionary spending, which covers defense, infrastructure, and research,
absorbs whatever is left over rather than being planned against outcomes
Revenue Has Not Kept Pace With Spending
- Federal receipts are projected at 17.5% of GDP in 2026, well below the level
needed to cover current spending
- The spending-to-revenue ratio stands at 133%: the government spends about
a dollar thirty-three for every dollar it collects
- The tax and fee structure is complex enough that most citizens cannot easily
tell what they actually pay or what it funds
Interest Costs Are Crowding Out Everything Else
- Net interest is projected to grow from just over $1 trillion in 2026 toward
$2.14 trillion a year by 2036 if nothing changes
- Interest is on track to become one of the single largest line items in the
federal budget, ahead of many programs that directly serve the public
- Every dollar spent on interest is a dollar unavailable for healthcare,
infrastructure, education, or national security
There Is No Enforcement Mechanism
- Budget caps and fiscal targets exist on paper but are routinely waived
- There is no automatic correction when deficits exceed their targets
- Multi-year budget planning is rare; most decisions are made one year at a time
Short-Term Incentives Override Long-Term Planning
- Benefits from new spending or tax cuts are immediate; their costs are deferred
- Election cycles reward short-term action over long-term stability
- There is no independent body responsible for holding Congress to a multi-year
fiscal path
The Cost Falls Hardest on the Next Generation
- Debt held by the public is on track to reach 120% of GDP by 2036, a level with
no precedent in this nation's history outside of major wars
- A shrinking share of the federal budget remains available to respond to the
next genuine national emergency
- Every year of inaction narrows the range of options available to younger
Americans, who did not make these choices but will pay for them
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