Who is Paying for the Budget Bill?

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report last month projecting an increase in the federal budget deficit relative to the gross domestic product (GDP) for the first time since 2009. The deficit for this year is now expected to be $590 billion. As a percentage of GDP, that is 3.2% compared to last year’s 2.5%. It is not good news when the deficit is growing faster than the economy, which is currently growing at 1.4%.

In the television drama, The West Wing, President Josiah Barlet, played by Martin Sheen, laments to his chief of staff, Leo McGarry, about the challenges of growing the economy. "Historically, 2 to 2.5 percent GDP expansion is classified lackluster even anemic economic growth," Bartlet said. "Four and a half to 5 percent is needed just to be considered robust and not even spectacular."