债务的快速增长源于历史性的巨额财政赤字，以及两党在增税或削减社会福利上难以达成共识。包含过去各届政府的减税政策、战争开销与疫情纾困方案等，加上不断攀升的利息支出，皆是推升债务的重要因素。
随著债务利息成为预算中的第三大支出，投资人要求更高殖利率可能引发恶性循环。专家警告，逼近四十一兆美元的法定债务上限将带来党派角力，并可能增加民众的借贷负担，呼吁政府必须采取实质的财政整顿行动。（关键数字：41.1）
Total US public debt has surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, surging by a third in less than five years. To rein in long-term borrowing costs from multi-year highs, the Treasury Department is ramping up a buyback program for longer-dated securities.
The rapid growth in debt stems from historically wide fiscal deficits and a lack of bipartisan consensus on tax increases or cuts to social benefits. Past policies from various administrations, including tax cuts, war expenditures, and pandemic relief, along with rising interest costs, are major drivers of this surge.
As interest costs become the third-largest budget item, investors demanding higher yields could trigger a doom loop. Experts warn that approaching the $41.1 trillion statutory debt ceiling will provoke partisan clashes and potentially raise borrowing costs for consumers, calling for meaningful fiscal actions from the government.