Interest payments surpass defense spending: $870B vs. $822B forecasted for 2024 federal budget.
In fiscal year 2024, U.S. national debt interest has exceeded spending on the military. The federal government spent $412 billion on military programs at the Department of Defense during the first half of FY2024. However, the rapidly growing cost of servicing the national debt surpassed military spending. Interest expenses from the $34 trillion national debt totaled $440 billion in the first six months of FY2024, representing a 43% increase from …