Central Perk: Where Does Our National Debt Come From?

miercuri, 27 iulie 2011

Where Does Our National Debt Come From?

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Good evening,

Chances are you’ve caught bits and pieces of the debate over our debt and deficits here in Washington over the past few weeks. It is important to understand what the deficit and debt ceiling debate is all about, so we’ve put together a few resources to help explain how we got here and what needs to happen in the next week.

If you have questions about the ongoing debate, be sure to check a brand new series called White House “Office Hours,” where you can ask senior administration officials your questions about policy issues via Twitter.

Infographic: Where Does Our National Debt Come From?

We put together a graphic that helps explain where our national debt comes from. It shows the impact various policies have had over the past decade, shifting us from projected surpluses to actual deficits and, as a result, running up the national debt.

You can view the full-size image by clicking below.

President Obama's Speech

President Obama gave a speech this week calling on Congress to come together and find common ground. He also called on the American people to make their voices heard in this debate. Check out the video and read some key passages from his remarks.

Check Out White House Office Hours

Starting this week, senior staff at the White House will hold regular "Office Hours" on Twitter, answering your questions in real-time. We held our first Office Hours this past Monday, and you can check out the entire conversation here.

Don’t miss the next Q&A - follow @WhiteHouse for the latest updates and use the hashtag #WHChat to ask administration officials your questions on President Obama’s speech and the ongoing deficit debate.

Here's the schedule so far:

Thursday, July 28

1:00 p.m. EDT: Office Hours with Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
3:00 p.m. EDT:Office Hours with Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council

Friday, July 29

10:00 a.m. EDT:Office Hours with Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
4:00 p.m. EDT: Office Hours with Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council

Please note that we will do our best to stick to this Office Hours schedule, but times are subject to change.

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