Paying down the debt is no longer an option as we have blown by that tipping point. Now the focus is how to delay the crash. The only way to do that is continue to borrow and spend until the rest of the world says they don’t want US dollars any longer. The debt is hardly a blimp when you look at all the financial commitments and guarantees both state and federal governments have made including SS, Medicare, pension, promised healthcare, etc that are starting to come due. IMO