A new report found America’s national debt now exceeds $123 trillion. That’s four times the U.S. Treasury Department’s figure of $28 trillion. What does that mean in terms of taxpayer dollars? The $123 trillion figure means close to $800,000 per taxpayer, while the official figure of $28 trillion means around $180,000 per taxpayer. As to why the numbers differ so much, the report states: “Our measure of the government’s financial condition includes reported federal assets and liabilities, as well as promised, but not funded, Social Security and Medicare benefits.” Treasury officials don’t include unfunded benefits because they claim recipients have no right to future payments, only to those under current entitlement laws.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich says he’s disturbed by efforts to expand the number of Justices on the Supreme Court. He writes to his state’s senators urging them to oppose the plan. Brnovich’s letter comes as House Democrats introduce a proposal to expand the number of justices from 9 to 13. Expanding the court by four seats would give Democrats just enough seats to overcome the court’s conservative majority.
