The deficit grew 77 percent in the first four months of fiscal 2019 compared with the same period one year before, Treasury said. So far, there has been little effort to reconcile differences between both parties, and neither has shown much interest in addressing the widening budget deficit. There has been a total breakdown in Washington, however, over how to address the budget deficit. The ranks of fiscal hawks have dwindled, and a newer, vocal wing of the party has called for more deficit spending to finance social programs. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) was bemoaning debt levels Tuesday, a few hours before Treasury reported the big increase in the deficit.

Source: Washington Post March 05, 2019 19:03 UTC