General Discussion

the surplus under clinton was year to year and not for his entire eight years. the national debt actually went up.

“During Bill Clinton's eight-year presidency (1993–2001), the total national debt grew from approximately $4.188 trillion to $5.728 trillion, representing an increase of about $1.4 trillion to $1.54 trillion. While Clinton achieved federal budget surpluses in his final four years, the overall national debt increased due to accumulated deficits and interest.”
Taxpayers for Common Sense


The U.S. national debt has risen from roughly one trillion in 1981 to over 36 trillion by late 2025. Driven by tax cuts, increased defense spending, and economic crises, debt accumulated significantly under every administration, accelerating sharply during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Committee on the Budget (.gov)

these two snippets i have copied and pasted demonstrate the folly of the credit card budgets that we adopted in 1981. we will soon be paying more in interest on our debt than we spend on national defense.