As a kid that keeps getting put deeper in debt before I even get out of middle school I was wondering if the Presidents or Congress is the blame for our continuing increase in the national debt. Math is not my best subject but it looks to me like both are and both the Democrats and Republicans share in the blame. I tried to look at this in the simplest way I could and will share with other kids here at Kids Speak for America what I learned.
The National Debt as of 9/30/1981 was 997,855,000,000 or just under a trillion dollars. Today the national debt is over 14 trillion dollars. Otherwise about 13 TRILLION dollars has been added to the national debt since 1981. Of this amount about 4 Trillion was added under a Republican congress and about 9 Trillion under a Democrat congress. The tables are turned when it comes to presidents for about 4 Trillion was added under a Democrat president and about 9 Trillion under a Republican president.
The President of the United States proposes a budget to the Congress and Congress recommends funding levels for the following fiscal year, beginning October 1. (A fiscal year is a 12 month budgeting period and unlike a calendar year it does not always start in January.)
After the Congress approves an appropriations bill, it is sent to the President, who can then sign it into law or veto it. If the bill is vetoed it is sent back to Congress and they can pass it into law with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
So Democrats and Republicans I do not give a d*** who is at fault for our 14 TRILLION DOLLAR national debt. What I do care about is that all of you get your heads out of your behinds and start doing something about reducing it before us kids are so far in debt we will be working in rice paddy for the Chinese government.
At the time this article was written the national debt was over 14 TRILLION
National Debt as of 9/30/1981 997,855,000,000.00
| Year | Dem | Rep | Pres | National Debt | ||
| 1981-1983 | 97th | 242 | 192 | Reagan | * 1,377,210,000,000.00 | |
| 1983-1985 | 98th | 269 | 166 | Reagan | * 1,823,103,000,000.00 | |
| 1985-1987 | 99th | 253 | 182 | Reagan | 2,350,276,890,953.00 | |
| 1987-1989 | 100th | 258 | 177 | Reagan | 2,857,430,960,187.32 | |
| 1989-1991 | 101st | 260 | 175 | Bush | 3,665,303,351,697.03 | |
| 1991-1993 | 102nd | 267 | 167 | Bush | 4,411,488,883,139.38 | |
| 1993-1995 | 103rd | 258 | 176 | Clinton | 4,973,982,900,709.39 | |
| 1995-1997 | 104th | 204 | 230 | Clinton | 5,413,146,011,397.34 | |
| 1997-1999 | 105th | 207 | 226 | Clinton | 5,656,270,901,615.43 | |
| 1999-2001 | 106th | 211 | 223 | Clinton | 5,807,463,412,200.06 | |
| 2001-2003 | 107th | 212 | 221 | BushGW | 6,783,231,062,743.62 | |
| 2003-2005 | 108th | 204 | 229 | BushGW | 7,932,709,661,723.50 | |
| 2005-2007 | 109th | 202 | 232 | BushGW | 9,007,653,372,262.48 | |
| 2007-2009 | 110th | 233 | 198 | BushGW | $11,909,829,003,511.75 | |
| 2009-2010* | 111th | 256 | 178 | Obama | 13,561,623,030,891.79 |
As of January 11, 2010 at 9AM just before this article was posted the national debt was over 14 TRILLION and now all I can think about is working in a rice paddy to pay off the national debt.
~Submitted by Jake K.~
I agree with you Jake. Both the Republicans and Democrats have been spending way too much money without thinking about what they were doing to us future tax payers. Even us kids know that if you spend your lunch money on on something else you are going to go hungry. Us kids are angry and the politicians better listen because every election more and more kids become old enough to vote and we don’t like them putting us so deep in debt. Lots of these idiots look at me and say he is only 11 what does he know? I say to them that I might be 11 but a lot of kids reading Kids Speak for America are a lot older and can vote now or will be able to vote soon so you morons that want to waste our money better listen up and think about what you are doing or you will be working in a rice paddy for China just like Jake thinks about.
I’m searching for information on constitutions for kids and came across your article. I’m shocked that the most powerful country in the world has that much national debt.
As kids we all need to be shocked cuz it is debt against us.