In a country with a GDP of $25 million dollars a minute. It would probably be advisable for the US to reduce its debt once it's out of the current recession, but current levels do not constitute a problem, much less a "morass", unless there are fears the US will default on some of that debt. Which there's currently no reason to fear, AFAICT.

Is it just the trillions that are unsettling you here? Suppose the US had debt of $13, thirteen bucks, was due to add forty cents to that debt this year, and had an income of $9 per year. Would you be as worried?

Peter