The U.S. Treasury Department has opened up Venmo and PayPal as new payment options for Americans who wish to donate toward the $36.7 trillion national debt, sparking criticism over what some are calling a symbolic gesture with no real impact.
The donation page, titled “Gifts to Reduce the Public Debt”, is accessible on Pay.gov and has existed since 1996, collecting a grand total of $67.3 million — an amount that barely registers against the scale of the debt.
Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” Sparks Debate
The announcement comes as President Donald Trump’s landmark “Big, Beautiful Bill” is projected to add $3.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The legislation, which includes historic tax cuts, infrastructure investment, and trade incentives, sparked a public clash with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who criticized the bill for raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion.
Despite the criticism, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the bill, telling Congress last month that tariff revenue and tax reforms would offset the increase and reduce the deficit over the long term.
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