US National Debt
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The United States is now carrying roughly $38.9 trillion in national debt. That does not happen by accident. It happens when a system rewards bad decisions, protects waste, and makes it easier to pass costs on to the public than to budget honestly.
It is clear to me that we have a serious problem with how we handle money in this country. If we want to lower the debt responsibly, we need to start by fixing the system that created it.
When donors, lobbyists, and powerful interests shape tax policy, spending decisions, and loopholes, the result is predictable: more borrowing, less discipline, and a government that answers to money before it answers to people.
We also need to stop waiting. The longer we delay, the more deficits pile up, the more debt grows, and the more money we lose to interest payments down the road. Acting sooner gives us better options. Waiting for a crisis usually means harsher cuts, worse outcomes, and less room to make smart decisions.
That is why new laws should be held to a simple standard: no new tax cuts and no new spending increases unless they are fully paid for. And if we are going to borrow, we should be honest about what that borrowing is for. There is a real difference between debt used to build infrastructure, strengthen domestic energy, or invest in long-term economic strength and debt used to fund waste, giveaways, or short-term politics.
If we want to lower the debt responsibly, the first step is fixing the system itself: reduce the influence of money in politics, make responsible choices sooner rather than later, and stop borrowing to avoid hard choices.
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Lowering the debt does not mean slashing everything in sight. It means being honest about where the money is going, which costs are growing fastest, and where the public is not getting enough value in return. If we are serious about this, then we need to stop treating every part of the budget like it is either sacred or untouchable. We should protect what works, reform what is wasteful, and focus first on the areas that put the most pressure on the country over time.
Healthcare has to be part of that conversation. The goal should not be to cut people off from care. The goal should be to slow the rate at which costs keep rising. That means tougher drug-price negotiation, payment reform, stronger competition, fewer incentives for unnecessary procedures, and more focus on primary and preventive care. Taxpayers should not be forced to keep paying more and more into a system that too often rewards waste and inflated prices.
Social Security should be strengthened now, before delay turns the problem into a crisis. One of the clearest places to start is the payroll tax cap. In 2026, Social Security taxes apply only to the first $184,500 in wages. Earnings above that are not taxed for Social Security. That means a teacher, electrician, or nurse pays the tax on every dollar they earn up to that line, while someone making far more stops contributing on wages above it. I believe that cap should be eliminated. If higher earners paid Social Security taxes on all wages, it would help strengthen the program and reduce pressure for future benefit cuts.
We also need to be willing to examine defense and war spending with the same seriousness we apply to everything else. National security is important, but scrutiny is not weakness. A serious debt plan should take a hard look at military contracts, procurement waste, cost overruns, and the long-term financial burden of overseas commitments. We should be asking not just how much we spend, but whether that spending is actually making the country safer and stronger. If every other part of the budget can be examined, then defense should not get a free pass.
Beyond that, spending smarter means making government work better. That means modernizing outdated systems, cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, reducing improper payments, and cleaning up subsidies, loopholes, and tax breaks that do not serve the public well. Too much public money is wasted not because the goal is wrong, but because the systems carrying it out are too old, too slow, and too burdened by unnecessary process. Government should not cost more simply because it is outdated, inefficient, or buried under layers of bureaucracy.
A serious debt plan is not about blind cuts. It is about discipline, efficiency, and value. We should spend where it helps the country, reform where the system is bloated, and stop pretending that waste becomes acceptable just because it has been around for a long time.
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Lowering the debt is not only about what we cut or what we save. It is also about what kind of economy we build. A stronger, more productive country is better able to manage debt, support families, and create long-term stability. That means focusing on the real foundations of economic strength: housing, energy, domestic production, infrastructure, education, and the ability of ordinary people to fully participate in the economy.
Housing has to be part of that conversation. High housing costs do not just hurt families directly. They also make it harder for people to move for work, save money, start businesses, and build stable lives. If we want a stronger economy, we need more housing supply and policies that make it easier to build and easier for people to afford a place to live.
We also need to take energy and production seriously. The more dependent we are on unstable global markets for things we should be able to produce ourselves, the more exposed we are to price shocks, supply disruptions, and long-term weakness. Building real energy independence through solar, battery storage, and modernized infrastructure can help lower long-term costs and reduce our dependence on volatile global energy markets. And in many cases, renewable power is already cheaper than building new fossil fuel generation, which makes this both a fiscal issue and an economic-strength issue. We do not need to trade for access to sunlight the way we do for oil, and that matters for both affordability and resilience.
The same principle applies more broadly to domestic production. A stronger economy is one that makes more of what it depends on, especially in energy, key materials, and important technologies. That does not mean cutting ourselves off from trade, but it does mean being smarter about what we allow ourselves to become dependent on. The more we strengthen domestic production, research and development, and modern infrastructure, the better positioned we are for long-term growth.
We should also be building an economy where more people can contribute and succeed in it. That means improving labor-force participation, supporting education and workforce development, and pursuing smarter immigration policies. A better-trained, more capable workforce helps raise productivity, strengthen communities, and build a broader foundation for growth.
And finally, we need a more competitive economy. When too few companies dominate an industry, prices stay high, innovation slows down, and small businesses have a harder time growing. Stronger competition means a healthier economy, lower costs, and more opportunity for people trying to build something of their own.
A serious debt plan is not just about restraint. It is also about strength. If we want to lower the debt over time, then we need to build an economy that is more productive, more resilient, less dependent, and better able to create real long-term prosperity.
