Ali TopchiThe US Treasury announced Tuesday that the federal government's gross national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, a record high.
The national debt jumped by $2.6 trillion in the six months through December.
On October 30, the Senate passed a last-minute spending bill to fund the federal government through November 17, narrowly avoiding a shutdown.
On November 17, President Joe Biden signed a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown and to push a fight with congressional Republicans over the federal budget into the new year.
In a two-step plan, the bill extends funding for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Energy and Veterans Affairs until January 19.
The remaining agencies would be funded until February 2.
The spending bill, which managed to pass in the House of Representatives only after Republicans sought Democratic support, does not include additional aid for Israel or Ukraine.
