actually i will argue the point that its a real asset figure, as far as money in a trust account can be concerned. As a busines owner, part of the taxes i pay are trust fund taxes, the goverment is very particular that these are paid by the letter of the law, and there are some stiff penalities if they arent including jailtime. I seriously doubt that any portion of congress can tamper with these same trust fund taxes.
Now that brings me to the earlier portion of the statement, its not like the have the money stuffed under a pillow, as long as the government has the ability to create a deficit, its never required to have the money "on-hand" but it does exist solely in a trust account, and nothing is debitted agaisnt that account except the articles which are intended to be. They can't "borrow" from it
Actual Print on the side of the USS Nimitz