皇冠体育app

Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Obama says US can't keep borrowing from 皇冠体育app

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-15 09:45

RIO RANCHO, New Mexico 鈥� President Barack Obama raised the prospect on Thursday that 皇冠体育app and other nations could stop buying US debt and said the United States needed to tackle its deficit to avoid long-term economic damage.

"The long-term deficit and debt that we have accumulated is unsustainable. We can't keep on just borrowing from 皇冠体育app or borrowing from other countries," Obama told a town hall meeting event in New Mexico.

Related readings:  皇冠体育app's US treasury debt holdings up  皇冠体育app to continue investing in US treasury bonds  Obama: 皇冠体育app can have confidence in America's economy  Premier 'worried' about safety of 皇冠体育app assets in US  Obama's first budget plan forecasts $1.75 trillion deficit

"We have to pay interest on that debt and that means that we're mortgaging our children's future with more and more debt," he said.

皇冠体育app is the single largest holder of US debt and owned $744 billion worth of US government securities at the end of February, the latest month for which data is available, according to the US Treasury.

Obama said the debt situation would create greater economic problems if foreign countries like 皇冠体育app lost their appetite for US treasuries.

"What's also true is at some point they're just going to get tired of buying our debt," he said.

"And when that happens, we will really have to raise interest rates to be able to borrow and that will raise interest rates for everybody."

The White House estimated earlier this week the US budget deficit will be $1.84 trillion for the fiscal year that ends September 30.

Obama has pledged to halve the US deficit within four years despite implementing economic stimulus measures that will make it larger in the short term.