Some historical context as well (#5, towards bottom): > Debt service as a share of federal outlays peaked at more than 15% in the mid-1990s, but generally fal

Some historical context as well (#5, towards bottom): > Debt service as a share of federal outlays peaked at more than 15% in the mid-1990s, but generally falling interest rates have helped hold down payments even as the dollar amount continues to grow. * https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/14/facts-about-the-us-national-debt/ https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/14/facts-abo... Also, out of the ~$6T of spending in 2022, about $4T was mandatory (Social Security, Medicare, etc): * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget With $1.7T being discretionary, and $0.5T being interest.