National Debt Hits $18,000,000,000,000

As lawmakers on Capitol Hill prepare for a budget battle near the end of the lame-duck session, the United States has officially crossed the $18 trillion national debt threshold and there are no plans in the works to stop it from reaching $19 trillion next year. 

$18,005,549,328,561.45 (+) #nationaldebt

— National Debt Tweets (@NationalDebt) December 1, 2014

Under President Obama's tenure, the national debt has increased by 70 percent.