The federal government's fiscal exposures now total more than $46 trillion, up
from about $20 trillion in 2000.
  
2005 Financial Report of the United States Government (1MB PDF):-
    
http://www.fms.treas.gov/fr/05frusg/05frusg.pdf
  
``The current financial reporting model does not clearly and transparently
show the wide range of responsibilities, programs, and activities that may
either obligate the federal government to future spending or create an
expectation for such spending. Thus, it provides a potentially unrealistic and
misleading picture of the federal government's overall performance, financial
condition, and future fiscal outlook. The federal government's gross debt* in
the consolidated financial statements was about $8 trillion as of September
30, 2005. This number excludes such items as the gap between the present value
of future promised and funded Social Security and Medicare benefits, veterans'
health care, and a range of other liabilities (e.g., federal employee and
veteran benefits payable), commitments, and contingencies that the federal
government has pledged to support. Including these items, the federal
government's fiscal exposures now total more than $46 trillion, up from about
$20 trillion in 2000. This translates into a burden of about $156,000 per
American or approximately $375,000 per full-time worker, up from $72,000 and
$165,000 respectively, in 2000. These amounts do not include future costs
resulting from Hurricane Katrina or the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continuing on this unsustainable path will gradually erode, if not suddenly
damage, our economy, our standard of living, and ultimately our national
security.
 
* The federal government's gross debt consists of debt held by the public and
intragovernmental debt holdings.''