US national debt surpasses $34 trillion for first time ever

The total national debt of the US has surpassed $34 trillion for the first time, just as members of Congress face a deadline to pass a federal spending bill in the coming weeks to avoid a government shutdown.

The US Treasury Department said on Jan. 2 that the US government's total public debt increased to $34.001 trillion last Friday, up from $33.911 the day before, Reuters reported.

The debt that counts toward the federal debt ceiling also rose to $33.89 trillion on Friday from $33.79 trillion on Thursday, the Treasury added in its daily statement.

This is before the Jan. 19 deadline for House Republicans to approve the proposed spending budget to avoid a government shutdown.