U.S. debt passes $15 trillion milestone... and it just keeps getting worse

By Nina Golgowski

Last updated at 10:57 AM on 17th November 2011

National debt for the United States raced through the $15 trillion mark Wednesday afternoon without any pause or reflection from the snowballing digits, in contrast to critics of the White House.


To Republicans, the missing acknowledgement by the US Debt Clock of its financial feat appeared to mirror President Barack Obama and congress' own attention to the deficit, as the deadline on the 'Super Committee,' tasked to find $1.2 trillion in savings, edges nearer. 


Venting on Twitter himself, Republican Candidate Jon Huntsman called the number 'unacceptable,' writing, 'This is why voters have lost trust in Washington. We need new leadership and real change now.'

15 plus: Come Thursday morning the US Debt Clock was already working on its next trillion after passing a financial milestone of $15 trillion Wednesday afternoon

Echoing the cry for new 'leadership,' Representative Paul Ryan who is the Chairman of the House Budget Committee admonished the figure, writing, '15 trillion in national debt marks an infamous day in U.S. history. You deserve leaders willing to tackle this problem.' 


But in the capitol, both congressional Republicans and Democrats were at a statement in their yearlong assault on the federal deficit.


Their mission among the selected 12-member 'Super Committee,' or formally named Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, is working to chop down the ballooning figure over 10 years, though their exact plan is due November 23rd.
In the case of failure, automatic spending cuts, totaling the desired $1.2 trillion amount, will go into effect starting in 2013.

Stalemate: Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, left, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., right, co-chairs of the 'Super Committee' are at task to trim the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over the next ten years

Disagreements on taxes and the future of enormously expensive government benefit programs - Presidential Candidate Rick Perry blames as 'Obama's socialist policies,' he wrote on Twitter Wednesday - have nearly deadlocked the group of evenly split Democrats and Republicans, who are inching on their proposal.

The building deficit has garnished every U.S. citizen in nearly $48,000 in shared debt and just over $133,000 for every tax payer.

The U.S. is estimated to spent $1.3 trillion more than it will take in this year alone.
In comparison to other developed nations, the U.S. has a public debt to GDP ratio of 85 per cent, in comparison to Germany's nearly 75 per cent and Canada's 81 per cent.
Japan, holding the heavy-weight title, is at 194 per cent.

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