The CEO Center has long viewed US fiscal responsibility as crucial to economic growth and business operations. Our national debt continues to grow unchecked, now exceeding $38 trillion. The cost of servicing this debt, now more than the US spends on defense, cripples our ability to adapt government spending to current needs. A national debt-to-GDP ratio of 100%, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates to reach 120% by 2036 and 175% by 2056, is already unstainable and will inevitably crush any future ambitions we hold for our nation's potential.
The CEO Center believes it is essential for US economic growth and national security that the Administration and Congress take measures to halt and eventually reverse the growth of the national debt to a more sustainable 70% of GDP. This can only be achieved through policies that promote productivity and through difficult choices in budgeting, including tax reforms and expense reductions. Combined with rising costs to service the national debt and the impending insolvency of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds over the next seven years, the US faces a strongly negative fiscal outlook that will only continue to worsen absent immediate action from Federal policymakers.
To support lawmakers and the public in facing these challenges, The CEO Center serves as a resource for the business perspective on these important fiscal policy issues. The CEO Center regularly releases Solutions Briefs, Explainers, Policy Backgrounders and Alerts, and other reports and toolkits that provide important context and recommendations to promote fiscal responsibility. A comprehensive overview of The CEO Center's fiscal responsibility resources can be found here.
This report models five fiscal paths to show how rising national debt could affect borrowing costs, economic opportunity, and Americans’ financial security.
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Reducing the deficit leads to lower interest rates and lower costs.
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As a visual explainer of CED's Solutions Brief, this infographic highlights key design elements for a bipartisan fiscal commission.
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As a visual explainer of our Solutions Brief, this infographic outlines The CEO Center's policy priorities for 2026.
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Congress must urgently consider reforms to the budget process to restore confidence in US fiscal policy and address the unsustainable national debt.
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What are the most pressing policy challenges facing the nation in 2025?
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Without action, Social Security's Trust Fund will be depleted by 2033, resulting in automatic 23% benefit cuts.
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Debt matters, and these much-needed solutions can restore the US debt-to-GDP ratio to a sustainable 70 percent.
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Infographic of three public policy recommendations for US in 2023
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Infographic: free and secure trade, resilient supply chains
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Almost two years after the COVID-19 pandemic plunged the United States and the world into economic and social disruption, the nation is recovering.
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August 20, 2026
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June 29, 2026
The CEO Center experts and Members speak on this policy issue.
IN THE NEWS
Here’s how much the $40 trillion national debt is costing you — whether you…
August 24, 2026
IN THE NEWS
Here's how America's $40 trillion debt can hit your wallet
August 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
Report: America’s Rising Debt Hits Families and Businesses in 4 Key Areas
August 18, 2026
IN THE NEWS
America’s $38 Trillion Debt Crisis is Already Here. The Reckoning Comes Nex…
March 17, 2026
IN THE NEWS
America Faces a ‘Debt Crisis’ a Lot Like the 1980s When a ‘Private Pact’ Br…
February 19, 2026
PRESS RELEASE
Report: America’s $38 Trillion Debt Demands Bipartisan Action
February 17, 2026