Final answer:
Cutting the national budget and debt while increasing federal employees can be due to targeted spending cuts in certain areas while expanding necessary government services requiring more staffing.
Step-by-step explanation:
A potential explanation for the paradox of cutting the national budget and national debt while increasing the number of federal employees could involve a few factors. When government officials look to reduce expenditures, they may do so in specific areas that they deem non-essential or too costly. For instance, a significant portion of budget cuts could come from reductions in programs, benefits, or military spending (not mentioned in this instance, but it's a typical area for cuts). At the same time, there may be a need to hire more federal employees to effectively administer remaining essential programs and government functions. Another factor to consider is that although cutting overall spending and debt is an objective, there might be growth in government services or programs deemed necessary which requires additional staffing.