Swampers Moan About The $40 Trillion Debt They Helped Create

August 20, 2026 4:50 PM ET Members of Congress bemoaned the $40 trillion national debt Thursday that they helped create. Republicans and Democrats pointed fingers at each other after the debt surpassed $40 trillion. They all voted for legislation that contributed to the debt, including the One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) and the Inflation Reduction Act. Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly blamed President Donald Trump for raising the debt. During former President Joe Biden’s administration, Kelly voted for the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, which cost roughly $370 billion over 10 years. “The President said he’d pay off the debt in his first term. Well we all knew that was a lie. Instead he ran it up to $40 trillion while he and his family made billions,”