Capitol Hill Blue Forums Hot Topics & Breaking News News US budget deficit hits $984 billion, highest in 7 years

Weird that conservatives no longer care about the deficit. Or, perhaps they only care when there is a Black American President.

That case seems more likely.

That would be Mr Trump acting for the benefit of the whole nation ... ahh I mean the top of the top of the 1%

No President, from George Washington to Donald Trump, is responsible for our government's deficit spending. Congress and only Congress is responsible for how much our government spends. Sadly the Republicans in Congress have talked about cutting spending but all they did was talk about it. The problem of our government's deficit spending and it's $20,000,000,000,000 debt is caused by the people we elect to Congress. When we elect people to Congress because they promise to spend money, that we don't have, we are responsible for the deficit spending and the debt. The deficit will be reduced when we start electing people to Congress who promise to eliminate government programs. This is not to suggest that all government programs should be eliminated but that there are some that could be. If the elimination of some programs proves to be a mistake those programs can be restored. Here is a list of government programs.
A-Z Index of U.S. Government Department and Agencies

Except when the president signs-off the spending bill as Trump did.

How do tax cuts and other revenue-side manipulations figure in - or is cutting spending the only thing that can be done?

I have been talking about this one for months. It will, by the end of the year, pass 1 TRILLION dollars! So, The Republican party, including Jackass Trump are flat out responsible. Least, but not less, is their incredible tax break which gave away more than a trillion to the richest. This also means that the payments on our debt will soon surpass what we spend on our bloated military.

What may be even more interesting is that, if the Democrats actually win in 2020, they will be facing a situation wherein there is simply no more money. This, of course, means that all the promises are going to either be cut back or simply not done. I have been wondering, for months, why the Dems haven't mentioned this little problem that they will be facing should they win. So, instead of going after the Republicans they seem to have choosen to beat the crap out of one another (with some exceptions).

So, things Democrats kinda ignore, like; Republican debt and The fact that the Democratic house has passed over 300 pieces of legislation whilst the Republican Senate has yet to pass 50.

All in all, as far as I can tell, the Dems seem to be working as hard as they can to not win 2020 and about as hard as Jackass Trump has been 'helping' Russia. One can only wonder if this is some kind of very strange, and destructive, competition.

Cutting spending is the first and most important step to get rid of the deficit. But what does our government do when it reaches the debt ceilings they have imposed? They raise the roof. The problem with tax cuts is the idea that by reducing our government's revenue that will force it cut spending. That has not worked. Whether they are intended to or not a tax cut will benefit the rich. That is because when taxes are cut those who pay the majority of the taxes our government collects, the rich, benefit from them. Pew Research

Well now, lets see. Jackass Trump proposed the tax cutting budget (actually bragged on it). The congress did pass it but Jackass proposed it. I submit that the whole damned bunch of republicans are responsible (president AND president) for the budget, and the deficit (soon to be added to the debt). Should add that the Republicans, the whole bunch, are responsible for the deficit and what will eventually be a 22 TRILLION dollar debt. This particular tax cut was not only a tax cut but a really generous giveaway to the upper 1%.

Oh well, just another Republican economic disaster that they will leave for the Democrats to clean up. Given that the Democrats have never been able to take over from the Republicans, UNLESS there is some kind of economic disaster, this may actually be a good sign for the Democrats.

Isn't that always the case? Dems are always fixing Republican messes.

Every economic downturn in the US for the past 120 years has happened on a Republcian's watch.

I'll say this, neither party is one bit interested in addressing the national debt. Trump's nearly one trillion deficit, Obama nearly 10 trillion added to the national debt, G.W. Bush's 5 trillion, Bill Clinton's almost 6 trillion and on back to Reagan.

We tend to blame presidents, but before they spend a dime first the house must write and authorize the budget and spending. The senate must agree. The national debt is a product of the two parties holding hands to see how much each can add to it.

Democrats blame Reagan, but they controlled the house and the purse strings. They also controlled the house during G.H.W Bush's presidency. The Republicans controlled the house through Bill Clinton's last six years, the Democrats during G.W. Bush's last two years in which 3 of the 6 trillion was added during G.W. Bush's terms. The GOP controlled the house for Obama's final six years and Trump's first two.

Far as I'm concerned, the House is as much to blame for the ever rising national debt as any president. The senate also as all three must agree to spend, the House, the senate and the president.

Just blaming presidents is much too easy and ignores those who have to write all these spending bills and pass them for the president to sign and spend.