La deuda nacional bruta de Estados Unidos superó los $40 billones el mes pasado por primera vez en la historia del país, aun cuando el gobierno federal sigue aumentando el endeudamiento a un ritmo acelerado. El hito llega en un momento en que se acumulan presiones fiscales para los líderes políticos que están en funciones ahora y para los candidatos en las próximas elecciones, ya que las decisiones tomadas en los próximos años afectarán un presupuesto ya tensionado por el aumento de los costos de intereses y el gasto en programas obligatorios a largo plazo.

A principios de este año, el informe anual de los fiduciarios de Social Security y Medicare señaló que el principal fondo fiduciario de Social Security va camino a agotarse en 2032, momento en el que entrarían en vigor recortes automáticos del 22% a los beneficios. Al mismo tiempo, el aumento de la deuda nacional, combinado con tasas de interés más altas, ha elevado con fuerza el costo de обслуживать la deuda, convirtiéndolo en una de las partidas de más rápido crecimiento del presupuesto federal y en una cifra superior al presupuesto de defensa.

Michael A. Peterson, CEO de la Peter G. Peterson Foundation, dijo a FOX Business que el aumento de la deuda "is an urgent problem, and to me, $40 trillion is enough stealing from our next generation and it's time to act. It has a negative effect on the economy, on wages, on affordability, but also on specific governmental programs."

"In just six years, our Social Security system's trust fund will run out and be fully depleted. And at that point, if Congress does nothing, we will have an automatic, across the board, immediate 22% cut to all benefits for all the beneficiaries," he said. "Obviously, that makes no sense, that's benign neglect of our retirees here, and we need to get at it."

US NATIONAL DEBT HITS $40 TRILLION FOR FIRST TIME EVER

Con la insolvencia de Social Security proyectada para dentro de seis años, cualquier senador elegido en las elecciones intermedias de este otoño y el próximo presidente elegido en 2028 estaría en funciones hasta 2032, cuando se espera que el fondo fiduciario se agote. Ese cronograma sitúa el tema de lleno en la ventana de políticas del Congreso actual y de la próxima administración, incluso mientras los costos del servicio de la deuda y el gasto obligatorio siguen marcando las negociaciones presupuestarias anuales.

Social Security, junto con Medicare y los gastos por intereses, son los factores de mayor crecimiento del déficit presupuestario anual de Estados Unidos, que actualmente se proyecta que superará los $2 billones para el año fiscal 2026, que concluirá al final de este mes. Se espera que los déficits se amplíen en los próximos años a medida que crece la deuda, continúan aumentando los costos de intereses y envejece la población de Estados Unidos.

"We're basically taking $2 trillion from our future, we're spending it now, and we're saddling our kids and grandkids with $2 trillion of debt, plus all the interest on top of it," Peterson said, adding that "interest is our fastest growing program, it's going to double in the next 10 years."

FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT ON TRACK TO SURPASS $2T THIS FISCAL YEAR AS SPENDING OUTPACES REVENUE

Peterson said that, unlike geopolitical challenges around the world — including China, Russia, Iran and others — the U.S. government has the ability to set its own budget policies in ways that could stabilize or reduce deficits and, in turn, the national debt.

"The solutions are well-known. We have a whole series of revenues coming in the door through our tax policy. There are many changes we can make to that over time that would bring in more money, that would lower these deficits. And on the spending side, there's a whole host of programs and different possibilities," Peterson said.

US NATIONAL DEBT SURPASSES SIZE OF THE ECONOMY FOR FIRST TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II

He said the Peter G. Peterson Foundation created the Solutions Initiative, which brought together seven think tanks from across the political spectrum to develop proposals aimed at stabilizing the national debt as a share of gross domestic product. The debt-to-GDP ratio reached 100% this year for the first time since 1946 and is projected to approach 200% over the next 25 years, underscoring how debt growth now intersects with the broader size of the economy.

"It really comes down to what your ideology is, how much revenue you want to bring in, how much spending cuts you're willing to tolerate, and what combination of that makes sense to you," Peterson explained, adding that all seven think tanks' plans stabilized the debt.

"The good news is there are many combinations, many opportunities right in front of us. We don't need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to have some political courage to get started."

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"Of course, this feels politically dangerous because you might involve more taxes or less spending. But at the end of the day, I think Americans are ready for this solution because they know this isn't sustainable, and it's not good for their long-term future," Peterson said.