Venmo, PayPal users can now send money to the US government to help pay down $36.7T national debt

The US Treasury Department is now accepting Venmo and PayPal payments from those who want to donate money to reduce the nation’s ballooning $36.7 trillion debt.

The digital payment platforms can be used after accessing the “Gifts to Reduce the Public Debt” page on Pay.gov, NPR’s Jack Corbett noted.

The expansion of payment options comes amid growing public concern over the debt, which has surged from $19.59 trillion in 2010 to its current level, an increase of 87%, according to the Treasury Department.

The donation program has existed since 1996, with a total of $67.3 million contributed — an amount that remains negligible compared to the federal debt...