Rising interest outpaces national defense. It’s eating America alive

We have entered an era where our national debt figures have grown so astronomical that the human mind simply tunes them out as abstract noise. But the laws of mathematics do not suspend themselves for the federal government.No family can permanently spend more than it brings in, no small business can operate indefinitely on borrowed funds, and no republic can accumulate multitrillion-dollar liabilities without eventually facing a day of reckoning.According to Congressional Budget Office deficit projections, the federal budget deficit is projected to grow substantially over the coming decade, driven heavily by rising net interest costs relative to the overall size of the economy. From a fiscally conservative perspective, our trajectory is a direct threat to our sovereignty and economic stability. When interest payments on our debt begin to outpace our investments in national defense or infrastructure, we are effectively hollowed out from within. The remedy demands immediate, clear-eyed fiscal restraint, balanced budget requirements, and a systematic audit of every federal agency to root out deep-seated waste and programmatic duplication.Conversely, the progressive model rejects the idea that austerity is the cure. It argues that cutting spending during times of economic transition weakens the foundation of the country. Instead, its solution focuses on expanding revenue and maximizing GDP growth through long-term investments in our domestic infrastructure, workforce education, and technological capabilities.AMERICA IS SPENDING $3 BILLION A DAY JUST ON INTEREST. WHY IS NO ONE RUNNING ON IT?Tracking from the Pew Research Center budget deficit survey shows that concern over long-term national debt has actually spiked across both major political parties as fiscal stability wavers, highlighting a growing consensus that this trajectory is unsustainable.Resolving this crisis will require both sides to put down their ideological weapons and look at the ledger honestly. We cannot balance our books solely through spending cuts, nor can we print money indefinitely without triggering economic ruin. It is time to abandon the short-term political posturing of continuing resolutions and government shutdown theatrics in favor of a real, long-term plan for fiscal sanity.It is time to pass into law a balanced budget amendment, such as H.J.Res.2, H.J.Res.11, H.J.Res.17, or S.J.Res.97. It would be a good start.Eric Wargotz is a physician, businessman, former U.S. Senate Nominee, and the former elected president of the Queen Anne’s County Board of County Commissioners, where he managed balanced local budgets and successfully navigated structural fiscal challenges. Views are his own.