Infographic: Bankrupting America’s Not-So-Sweet 16 Cupcake Social on Capitol Hill

No Better Way to Mark the $16 Trillion Debt Than to Indulge in Some Free Cupcakes

Arlington, Va.— Today Bankrupting America will be giving away 500 cupcakes on Capitol Hill to commemorate the special moment our national debt surpassed the sweet $16 trillion mark, an unprecedented sum amounting to more than $50,900 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. The “Cupcake Joy” truck will be located at Union Station from 12:00-1:00 p.m. and Federal Center from 1:15-2:00 p.m. handing out free debt-reduction cupcakes.

“Bankrupting America’s goal is to highlight our staggering $16 trillion national debt and urge members of Congress to work together and make debt reduction a priority,” said Public Notice Policy Director Lenwood Brooks. “Washington spending is like a sugar high – it may feel good right now, but it does nothing to create long-term, sustainable growth. Americans are rightfully worried that we’re just digging ourselves deeper into a hole, so why isn’t Washington?”

A recent Public Notice poll conducted by the Tarrance Group found that behind jobs and the economy (37 percent), wasteful government spending and federal deficits (17 percent) are the top issues on voters’ minds heading into the election.  Additionally, a strong majority of voters see an impact from the rising federal debt, with a majority (67 percent) saying that the economy has been impacted and 53 percent say they/their own family has been impacted by the debt.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, America has been in the red for 45 of the last 46 months.  The goal of today’s campaign is to underscore that $16 trillion in debt is nothing to celebrate, and if we continue to punt on tough decisions and put off confronting our spending crisis, our nation will be well on its way to a $17 trillion debt in 2013.

Bankrupting America infographic showing how we got to $16 trillion.