AI Evaluation Notes

Interest payments on the US national debt have significantly accelerated, with outlays for net interest on the public debt increasing by $44 billion (or 12%) in February 2025 alone. In fiscal year 2025, the federal government spent $970 billion on interest payments, which is equivalent to 19% of all federal spending and is explicitly stated to be crowding out other spending priorities. Furthermore, interest payments in 2024 surpassed spending on Medicare, and the federal government now spends more on interest than on defense or Medicare.