$352 billion in 2005 in interest payments

[LSK]

"In Fiscal Year 2005, the U. S. Government spent $352 Billion of your money on interest payments* to the holders of the National Debt. Compare that to NASA at $15 Billion, Education at $61 Billion, and Department of Transportation at $56 Billion. For the current FY06, we've already spent $174 billion on interest payments!"

http://www.federalbudget.com/

That money is money that is not spent on social security, on medicare, on defense, on parks, on administration, on nothing but FINANCING OUR DEBTS.

That money does not pay towards principle.

That amount will continue to grow and grow.

That money partially goes to the Chinese.

Are you people starting to realize how much of a problem our National Debt is???????

[skylarmae]

1. this makes me physically ill...

I know by my own credit card debt just how interest can add up...I have taken responsibility for my own debt, so where does the congress allow us to pay 352Billion....

[napi21]

2. Most of us citizens understand that, and try to keep outstanding

credit payments as low as possible. NOT the Feds though. Such a HARD concept to understand!

Maybe we should all send the Congress folks a financial plan to get out of debt! They're good at telling the Am. people to do that!

[LSK]

3. we had a plan in the 90s, then there was an election in 2000....

[sutz12]

4. Just like the war in Iraq....

"It's a problem for future presidents."

We need an uprising this coming election. But the problem is that nobody votes against 'their own guy.' It's always some other congressman who's at fault. I wish we could get 100% turnover this election. I wouldn't even care much about party, in fact I'd prefer independents, if we could find them.

[LSK]

5. no, only 60% turnover is needed

There are plenty of Dems in Congress aware of the issues. Try and catch the 30something Dems (see link in sig) on CSPAN.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. In fairly short order

the function of government will be to transfer tax revenue to bond holders. Everything else will be spent on military hardware. Excellent plan.