The Budget Washington Won't Explain to Working Americans
By Kamalakar (Kam) Shenai
On a recent Saturday morning, I heard activity outside my home in Central Florida. It was our landscaping crew, working hard to clear yard waste left behind by the freeze. As is my habit, I walked over to chat.
"How's it going?" I asked.
One of them looked up and said, "Mr. Kam, did you see the price of gas today? It's almost $4.50." Another jumped in—talking about the price of chicken, groceries, and how hard they're working just to make ends meet.
That conversation has stayed with me. Because just a few hundred miles away, in Washington, leaders are debating a federal budget that seems completely disconnected from it.
Let's talk about what's actually happening.
In fiscal year 2026, the federal government is projected to collect roughly $5.6 trillion in revenue. In 2027, that number is expected to rise modestly. On the surface, that sounds like progress.
But here's the problem: spending is growing faster than revenue—and the gap is enormous.
Even with rising revenues, the government is still projected to run deficits of nearly $1.9 trillion in 2026, approaching $2 trillion in 2027. That's not a temporary imbalance. That's structural.
And then there's the fastest-growing expense most Americans rarely hear about: interest on the national debt.
In 2026, interest payments are projected to reach $1 trillion. By 2027, they are expected to climb even higher.
Let that sink in.
We are at a point where interest payments alone rival our largest national priorities. Alongside defense spending—which is proposed to surge to about $1.5 trillion under the administration's proposal, a nearly 40% increase—interest is becoming one of the top two categories in the entire federal budget.
At the same time, nondefense programs are proposed to be reduced by about 10%. These are not small adjustments. They are clear choices about priorities.
We are essentially paying for the past while borrowing more for the future.
Which brings us to the second, more dangerous illusion: that we can continue like this indefinitely.
The national debt has now reached roughly $39 trillion, and it is climbing fast. At current rates, we are adding nearly $2 trillion in debt every year. Within a decade, that number could push well past $50 trillion.
And this is where the disconnect becomes impossible to ignore.
At a time when working Americans are asking for relief—from high gas prices, rising grocery bills, and the crushing cost of childcare—our fiscal choices are moving in the opposite direction. We are locking in higher debt, higher interest costs, and fewer resources for the very investments that could ease those burdens.
How can this be?
Part of the answer is that Washington focuses on debates that sound big—defense versus domestic spending, taxes versus cuts—while avoiding the one issue that matters most: our revenue and spending are fundamentally out of balance.
Yes, revenues are growing. But they are not keeping pace with what we are committing to spend. Until we confront that reality—honestly and directly—nothing will change.
The 2027 budget is not radical. It is not transformative. It is, instead, a continuation of a pattern—higher spending, persistent deficits, and a growing national debt.
And so, I think back to that Saturday morning conversation.
To the men working hard in the Florida sun, worried about gas, groceries, and getting through the month. They are managing their budgets with discipline and urgency.
It's fair to ask: why isn't Washington doing the same? Perhaps it's time we, as ordinary citizens, start asking tougher questions—and demand better answers.
Authors Bio
Kam Shenai is Co-Founder of AAPI Coming Together (ACT Florida). He holds an MS from UC Berkeley and an MBA from RIT. Previously VP Marketing Operations Xerox North America and CCO at Sutherland Global Services; he currently serves as Chair of the Myrtle Creek District Board and on the Board of Trustees for UCF Lake Nona Hospital. He is a patient advocate with the National Kidney Foundation. Kam is also a member of the League of Women Voters of Orange County