I believe you are asking about the difference in the national debt and the national deficit. Debt is the total amount owed by the federal government. The deficit is the amount per year the federal government is out-spending its income. The government is currently spending at a pace that would be 15 trillion more than it will make ina year. The federal government owes 54 trillion total - mostly to domestic lenders like the Federal Reserve, state governments, private and cooperate companies. We owe less than a quarter of it to foreign governments. Japan holds the largest chunk of our foreign debt followed be China.

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. G I Joooooe!