Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has raised a red flag, warning that the United States is heading towards an “unsustainable fiscal path.”

Powell shared his concerns about the fiscal direction of the United States during a “60 minutes” candid interview with Scott Pelley. He emphasized that the national debt was growing faster than the economy and becoming a threat.

The U.S. Treasury released data showing that the national debt exceeded $34 trillion for the first time in early January, just over three months after it passed the $33 trillion milestone.
As a result, Congress has postponed spending deadlines three times since the end of September. This delay reflects the challenge of funding the government while dealing with concerns about the growing national debt.

Powell stated in the interview, “The debt is growing faster than the economy.” Last spring, President Biden and House Republicans clashed over the borrowing limit but managed to avoid a crisis just before the U.S. faced default. 
However, in August, Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. credit rating from “AAA” to “AA+.” This was due to concerns about the growing national debt and ongoing partisan disagreements over the debt limit.

The short-term funding passed by Congress for federal agencies is about to run out. Four federal agencies face funding expiration on March 1, while the remainder will run out on March 8. 
The Fed chair is concerned about the national debt in the long run. However, he mentioned that members of the central bank’s rate-setting panel believe “the economy’s in a good place.”

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy bounced back strongly, growing at a rate of 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023. But that doesn’t mean it should relent. The situation calls for the urgent need for decisive action. 
Continuous government operations and addressing broader issues like fiscal sustainability and national debt management are crucial for growth.

According to The Hill, inflation has dropped from its highest point of 9% in the summer of 2022. This decline is credited to adjustments made by the Federal Reserve through its monetary policies.
The Fed raised interest rates from nearly zero in March 2022 to a range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent in June 2023. Since then, they have kept rates unchanged in subsequent meetings.

Top Federal officials hinted about potential rate cuts in 2024. However, contrary to expectations, they decided not to cut rates after the January meeting last Wednesday. Surprisingly, Powell had predicted that rate cuts in March were unlikely during a press conference after the announcement.
“I would say, and I did say yesterday, that I think it’s not likely that this committee will reach that level of confidence in time for the March meeting, which is in seven weeks,” Powell said.

Under Powell’s leadership, the Federal Reserve was more careful toward future interest rate cuts. He stated the importance of reviewing economic conditions before making any decisions. Powell also mentioned that key economic indicators affect the Federal Reserve’s decisions on interest rates.
“The kinds of things that would make us want to move sooner would be if we saw weakness in the labor market or if we saw inflation really persuasively coming down,” he added.

Powell and the Fed have been criticized by both sides of the political spectrum for maintaining interest rates at their highest level in over two decades.
Former President Trump accused Powell of being “political.” Also, during a Fox Business interview on “Mornings with Maria,” Trump claimed that Powell would lower rates to benefit Democrats in the upcoming election. 

“It looks to me like he’s trying to lower interest rates for the sake of maybe getting people elected, I don’t know,” he added. When asked if he would reappoint Powell if he won the election in November, Trump said, “No, I wouldn’t do that.”
Trump had pressured Powell to lower interest rates to boost the stock market and improve trade negotiations. Trump’s public criticism of Powell wasn’t new.

Some Senate Democrats also encouraged the Fed chair to lower rates before last Wednesday’s meeting. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen, John Hickenlooper, Jacky Rosen, and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote a letter to Powell last Sunday.
“As the Fed weighs its next steps in the new year, we urge you to consider the effects of your interest rate decisions on the housing market and to reverse the troubling rate hikes that have put affordable housing out of reach for too many,” 

But, Powell rejected any suggestion that politics would influence the Fed’s decision to lower interest rates in the future. Despite the criticism, he reaffirmed the Federal Reserve’s independence.
“We do not consider politics in our decisions. We never do. And we never will. And I think the record – fortunately, the historical record backs that up,” he said.

According to Business Insider, Powell emphasized the importance of being financially responsible and not passing on debt to future generations.  He said, “It should pay for those things and not hand the bills to our children and grandchildren.”
Powell also called for “an adult conversation among elected officials” to guide the federal government toward a sustainable fiscal path.