A viral social media claim is making rounds on the internet that says that the U.S. government is collecting public donations to reduce its $38 trillion national debt.
While the claim is based on a real federal program, however, according to the official treasury page, the initiative has been around since 1843 and is neither new nor financially significant.
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“Donations to the U.S.” page on Pay.gov
The claim gained traction after multiple X posts shared a screen shot of a “Donations to the U.S.” page on Pay.gov that started a train of the same screenshot and confusions online.
These posts suggests the government is asking ordinary Americans to chip in and donate towards the debt burden of $38 trillion on the U.S. government.
However, official records confirm that the program exists under the federal law. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Americans have been allowed to make voluntary contributions to reduce the public debt under 31 U.S.C. § 3113 for decades.
In 1843, this account was created to receive gifts, including bequests, from those who wanted to show their support for the United States. The federal government may use funds placed into this account for general purposes, including budgetary requirements.
These donations are then managed by the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service via Pay,gov, where users can submit donations electronically via your bank account (ACH), PayPal, debit or credit card.
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“Gifts” via Venmo and Paypal
Last year, the US Treasury Department announced that the digital payment methods through Venmo and PayPal are now accepted on the Pay.gov page titled “Gifts to Reduce the Public Debt.”
The U.S. government’s “audacity” in taking “gifts” through PayPal and Venmo in an attempt to lower the nation’s soaring $36.7 trillion debt infuriated a number of Americans at the time.
Similarly, this train of viral posts of the screenshot of the Pay.gov page has garnered varied reactions. A user on X, Spencer Hakimian, posted the same screenshot and wrote, “THE PEDOPHILES ARE ASKING FOR DONATIONS.”
However, this is not a new development and the donations page has been around for a long time now.