DBQ summarize As the national debt rises, our nation takes on a cost that is often not discussed: interest payments on the debt. Just as individuals and businesses have to pay interest on money they borrow, so does the government. This is often called "servicing the debt," and these payments do not go toward decreasing the overall amount of debt owed. In 2016, interest payments were the fifth-largest item in the federal budget. It is projected that the federal government will pay $6 trillion in interest between 2016 and 2026