The U.S. government will spend a record $1.2 trillion on interest payments in 2024, the highest amount ever recorded.
Interest payments are driven by a combination of deficit spending, especially during the pandemic, and the Federal Reserve’s campaign of anti-inflation interest rate hikes.
The trajectory of the deficit could be influenced by the election.
While both Democrats and Republicans propose new tax cuts and spending that could push up the deficit, Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed tax increases on the wealthy and corporations, to offset them.
