The US national debt surpassed $33 trillion for the first time on September 18th, according to daily reports from the US Treasury Department. This record debt level comes as Congress faces a deadline of September 30th to pass funding bills to avoid a government shutdown. Republicans call for spending cuts while the White House faults the 2017 GOP tax cuts. Treasury Secretary Yellen says current interest costs remain manageable but future spending must be reduced paired with economic investments. Annual interest payments on the debt are projected to reach over $1 trillion annually by 2030.