Right now the total US federal debt [1] is $14.5 Trillion dollars (14,500,000,000,000.00) and the Federal government is currently spending $1.1 Trillion per year MORE [2] than it takes in (revenue).  Obviously this can’t continue forever – at some point the total debt becomes so big that the GDP is no longer able to support the payments on the interest and principle, treasury bonds are devalued to junk status and interest rates rise causing the economy to shrink which further decreases the GDP etc, etc. At some point (probably just before complete economic collapse becomes inevitable) the deficit will need to be paid back and right now that amounts of almost $50,000 per every single American.  Of course, this only applies to tax payers and inevitably those with higher incomes will be “called upon” to shoulder more of the debt burden