According to PANews, on August 12, the U.S. national debt exceeded $37 trillion for the first time as the federal government continues to accumulate debt at a record pace. The latest data from the U.S. Treasury Department indicates that by the afternoon of that day, the total national debt had reached $37,004,817,625,842. Maya MacGuineas, chair of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, commented on the situation, stating that the U.S. fiscal condition is severely imbalanced, and Congress is exacerbating the issue.