Michael A. Peterson on CBO Outlook
“The updated budget outlook from the Congressional Budget Office underscores the gravity of America’s fiscal situation and the continuing need for action to address our long-term fiscal challenges.
CBO projects that our national debt will climb to more than 90 percent of GDP within the next ten years if Congress and the President continue our current policies. Even more alarming than the ten-year outlook is CBO’s warning of the economic dangers that could result from the unsustainable growth of debt in the decades that follow.
Allowing our national debt to increase unchecked is an unacceptable risk to the future stability and prosperity of our nation. A future economy burdened by massive interest costs cannot grow, and the critical resources we need to invest in our future will simply not be there unless we get our fiscal house in order.
Credible, bipartisan solutions exist that could be implemented gradually when the economy is stronger, and the sooner we act the better.”
Further Reading
The Federal Government Has Borrowed Trillions. Who Owns All that Debt?
Most federal debt is owed to domestic holders, but foreign ownership is much higher now than it was about 50 years ago.
With $38 Trillion in Debt, Is the U.S. Headed for More Credit Downgrades?
Three successive downgrades of the U.S. credit rating should alarm elected leaders, but our national debt remains on an unsustainable trajectory.
The United States Is Adding to the National Debt Faster Than Ever
The nation’s debt is growing at a historic rate and eclipsing all-time highs.