Federal interest expense vs. national defense
This chart compares federal interest payments with national-defense consumption and investment. It uses BEA national-accounts data via FRED on a common annualized basis; BEA interest payments differ from the federal budget’s net-interest concept.
What does it show?
Federal interest payments now exceed national-defense consumption and investment.
Methodology
Quarterly BEA NIPA current-dollar series via FRED, both seasonally adjusted at annual rates: federal government interest payments (A091RC1Q027SBEA) and national defense consumption expenditures and gross investment (FDEFX). BEA interest payments are not the federal-budget concept of net interest outlays.