21.   A strong recovery, he reasoned, would generate enough tax revenue to remove the threat of more federal debt.

22.   But if they owe taxes or have other federal debts, such as student loan payments, that amount will be deducted from the credit.

23.   But now, with the expected surpluses, Congress cannot agree with the president whether to cut taxes, expand government programs or pay down the federal debt.

24.   But negotiators put off any agreement on extending the federal debt ceiling to allow the government to borrow money in the bond markets.

25.   But such optimism was overshadowed in the bond market by growing worries about the fight in Washington concerning the Federal debt ceiling and the risk of a default.

26.   But the federal debt keeps piling up, so we must pay the interest and service the principal.

27.   By doing so, they would help to pay down the federal debt, which Wait described as the most fiscally responsible thing lawmakers could do.

28.   Clinton also forced congressional Republicans to back off the threat of government default and pass an increase in the federal debt limit, without conceding anything.

29.   Clinton, however, used the estimates to make a case for paying down the federal debt ahead of previous projections and to fuel a call for fiscal responsibility.

30.   Clinton would use more than half of the surplus to pay off what the nation owes to future Social Security retirees, reducing federal debt held by the public.