The federal government spent around $7 trillion in fiscal year 2025, with roughly $1.6 trillion going towards Social Security, $900 billion for defense, and $970 billion for net interest on the national debt. About $14 out of every $100 spent went towards interest, which is comparable to throwing away $14 of a $100 paycheck on credit-card balances. The article argues that this is unsustainable and that taxpayers should demand better financial planning from politicians, who are currently promising more government programs without paying for them through taxes.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
You work.
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You → work → ?
You get paid.
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You → pay → ?
Washington takes its cut.
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Washington → take → cut
But have you ever stopped to ask one simple question: Where does the money actually go?
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money → stop → question
Most Americans can't comprehend the difference between $1 trillion and $7 trillion anyway.
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Americans → comprehend → trillion
Let's shrink Washington down to something we all understand: a $100 bill.
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we → let → something
In fiscal year 2025, the federal government spent roughly $7 trillion.
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government → spend → trillion
Social Security alone consumed about $1.6 trillion.
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Security → consume → trillion
Major federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, were another enormous piece.
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programs → include → Medicare
Defense approached $900 billion.
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Defense → approach → billion
And then there's the number that should make every taxpayer spit out their morning coffee: interest.
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taxpayer → be → coffee
The federal government spent about $970 billion just on net interest on the national debt.
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government → spend → debt
That means roughly $14 out of every $100 Washington spent went toward interest on money we've already borrowed.
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we → mean → money
Imagine earning $100 and immediately throwing $14 in the fireplace because of credit-card balances you accumulated years ago.
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you → imagine → balances
You'd probably say you have a spending problem.
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you → say → problem
Washington calls it a budget.
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Washington → call → it
So where did the rest go?
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rest → go → ?
Roughly speaking, out of every $100 the federal government spent in 2025, about $23 went to Social Security, approximately $26 went toward major health programs, around $13 went toward national defense, and about $14 serviced the interest on our debt.
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14 → speak → debt
The remaining dollars funded everything from veterans' benefits and income-security programs to transportation, education, federal agencies and thousands of other government programs.
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dollars → remain → programs
You can argue all day about which of those programs are worthwhile.
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which → argue → programs
But here's the part Washington doesn't put on your receipt.
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Washington → put → receipt
We didn't have the $100.
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We → have → 100
Federal revenues were only about $5.2 trillion while spending approached $7 trillion.
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spending → approach → trillion
In other words, for every $100 Washington spent, it collected only about $74 and borrowed roughly $26 to make up the difference.
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it → spend → difference
Eventually, your banker is going to have a conversation with you that nobody in Congress seems interested in having.
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nobody → go → Congress
Politicians love telling you about the benefits they're going to protect, the programs they're going to create and the taxes somebody else is supposedly going to pay.
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somebody → tell → benefits
Nobody likes telling you the truth.
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Nobody → tell → truth
We have promised ourselves a government we aren't currently willing to pay for.
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we → promise → government
And taxpayers should demand something that every restaurant, grocery store and hardware store already gives us.
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restaurant → demand → us
Imagine earning $100 and immediately throwing $14 in the fireplace because of credit-card balances you accumulated years ago.
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you → imagine → balances
You'd probably say you have a spending problem.
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you → say → problem
Washington calls it a budget.
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Washington → call → it
Every year, Americans should be able to see exactly how Washington spent every $100 it collected and how much additional money it borrowed in our name.
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it → see → name
Because here's the number that scares me most.
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that → scar → me
The Congressional Budget Office says net interest costs are projected to exceed $1 trillion in 2026 and could reach about $2.1 trillion annually by 2036 under current law.
uncertain
costs → say → law
That's money future taxpayers will send to Washington before Congress buys them a single bridge, missile or Medicare benefit.
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Congress → send → bridge
Americans argue constantly about whether our taxes are too high or too low.
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taxes → argue → ?
Maybe we're asking the wrong question.
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we → ask → question
Before Washington asks Americans for another dollar, taxpayers should be asking: What did you do with the last $100?
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you → ask → 100
