Robert Bixby of the Concord Coalition, a budget watchdog group, said sending in extra dollars is not a sensible way to deal with the red ink because it is not an effective solution.  

“Citizens need to let politicians know of their concern and that they are willing to make hard choices so long as it would actually result in real progress,” Bixby said. 

Bixby added that while the act of giving is very patriotic, the focus should be on enacting policies that won’t run such high deficits. 

“If it makes people feel good—like they’re doing something—it’s sensible in that sense, like giving to a charity would be sensible. It is not a sensible way to deal with our debt problem because the amount of money donated is just less than a drop in the bucket. "