Scott Bessent’s bond buyback plan rattles Treasury markets as long-term yields hit 20-year highs

The US Treasury market has a $32 trillion problem, and the government’s proposed solution involves buying back its own debt at twice the previous rate. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on August 19 that the department will more than double its per-operation buyback ceiling for longer-dated securities, lifting the cap from $2 billion to at least $4 billion. The program targets bonds in the 10-to-30-year sector and runs from September 9 through November 4. The backdrop explains the urgency. Long-term Treasury yields have climbed to their highest levels in nearly 20 years, a development that directly inflates the government’s debt-service costs. What the buyback plan actually does By purchasing older, less-liquid long-dated bonds from the market, the Treasury aims to inject liquidity into a sector that has been selling off hard enough to push yields to generational extremes. Buybacks reduce the supply of existing bonds in circulation, which in theory should push prices up and yields down. The Treasury’s General Account at the Federal Reserve currently holds approximately $940 to $950 billion, giving Bessent room to fund operations well beyond the announced ceiling if conditi...