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In a post on X, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat representing Washington’s 7th Congressional District, blamed America’s debt crisis on Republicans, writing, “The US national debt is now over $40 trillion because of decades of Republican tax breaks for billionaires and corporations.” She added that America could have invested in “universal healthcare and childcare” instead, then declared, “GOP ‘fiscal responsibility’ is a joke.”That is cute. It is also gaslighting.Yes, the national debt really did top $40 trillion. Treasury data showed total public debt outstanding at about $40.047 trillion in August 2026.But no, billionaires and corporations did not walk off with $40 trillion in tax breaks.Tax cuts matter. Spending matters. Interest matters. Wars, recessions, COVID spending, entitlement growth, and bipartisan budget deals all matter. That is the part Jayapal conveniently skips.CBO estimated the 2017 tax law would increase deficits by about $1.9 trillion over 2018 to 2028, and CBO/JCT later estimated that tax changes in the 2025 reconciliation law would increase primary deficits by $4.6 trillion before other program changes offset part of that.That is real money. It is not $40 trillion.The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget looked at the deterioration since 2001 and found major tax cuts, major spending increases, and recession responses all played large roles. It also found most of the debt impact came from legislation with bipartisan support.In other words, this is not just one party’s tax problem. This is Washington’s addiction problem.Congress spends money it does not have, sells Treasuries to cover the gap, and then pretends future generations can pick up the tab. GAO says the government has spent more than it collected nearly every year this century, borrowing to finance those deficits.No household could get away with this behavior. No business could. But somehow Congress does it every year and then politicians act shocked when the bill arrives.And Jayapal’s answer is universal healthcare? CBO found illustrative single-payer systems would raise federal health subsidies by $1.5 trillion to $3 trillion in 2030 alone and would require new taxes, spending cuts, or more debt.The Founders gave Congress the power of the purse for accountability, not for blame-shifting press releases. Madison called it the people’s “most compleat and effectual weapon.”Maybe Washington should try using it that way.