On Wednesday, The Treasury Department announced plans to more than double its buyback operations, raising the maximum size from $2 billion to at least $4 billion for 10- to 20-year and 20- to 30-year sectors.
Treasury targeted these long-dated nominal sectors following a buyers' strike that began in late June, which combined with inflation concerns and expanding government debt to push yields to nearly 20-year highs on Tuesday.
Markets reacted sharply to the announcement, with the benchmark 10-year note yield falling 6 basis points to 4.647% and the 30-year bond tumbling 9 basis points to 5.196%.
This intervention comes as the national debt climbed to $39.9 trillion, with annual interest payments projected to exceed $1 trillion this year, consuming about 19% of federal revenue according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
Projections from the Bipartisan Policy Center indicate the government could reach the $41.1 trillion statutory limit by 2027, prompting Senate Majority Leader John Thune to warn of an "ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster.
The yield of 30-year US government bonds at times reached the highest level in 20 years. The Treasury now wants to double the buybacks, which makes it easier.