Lawmakers urged to ‘stop the bleeding’ and put the country on a more sustainable fiscal path Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The U.S. national debt is now larger than the economy as a whole, hitting levels not seen since the