How much should the US? And whom? Everything about the record public debt of Washington (INFOGRAPHIC)

Posted 19 September 2017 1:13 GMT | Last updated: 19 Sep 2017 10:04 GMT 

What is the US government debt? What it is and how it has evolved over the mandates of recent American presidents? Here are all keys. 


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On 12 September , the US public debt He reached a record high, surpassing $ 20 trillion for the first time in history. A new White House authorization allows the US Treasury Department exceeds the limit of 19.94 trillion set in 2016. On 8 September , the US president, Donald Trump , signed a law suspending the barrier until December 8. 


the debtUS Federal Government It can be divided into two main areas : public debt and domestic debt. The first group consists of securities purchased by investors, corporations, government bodies of the States, the Federal Reserve System US and foreign governments. As for domestic debt it consists of securities acquired by other federal bodies. 

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Among the biggest foreign holders of bonds of US government debt include China (1146.5 million), Japan (1090.8), Ireland (302.5) and Brazil (269.7), according to estimates by June 2017. 

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However, the US debt never stops growing . The last dramatic growth of US government debt It took place during the presidency of Barack Obama, The predecessor of Trump. During the pre-Obama came to power 17 years , the debt grew by $ 5 trillion, as well as increased in the first three years of his mandate. 

At the end of his term in January 2017, Obama left the country with a debt of 19.9 trillion, ie that during his tenure the US public debt almost he doubled. Also limit government borrowing rose several times. In October 2013 this situation even led to the so - called 'closure' of the Government, the suspension of the provision of all non - essential public services. 

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This occurred because the budget law was never approved in time because of a disagreement over funding the Patient Protection Act and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or also known as Obamacare). 

At that time the government was forced to send home without pay most of its officials, 800,000 federal employees, more than one million workers without a specific date for the payment of their salaries. The closure lasted 16 days. 


This dramatic growth of public debt under President Obama had his cause, among other things, the need to combat the consequences of the 2008 crisis in spending on the military campaign in Afghanistan and the reform of health Obamacare.

Reforms and measures that could promote Trump, which include the border wall with Mexico, could further increase debt. According to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office US (CBO, for its acronym in English), the current federal debt is at its highest level since World War II and will increase over the next 30 years to reach 150% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2047.