Federal deficit for the month of February:
The federal government posted its largest monthly deficit in history in February, a $223 billion shortfall that put a sharp point on the current fight on Capitol Hill about how deeply to cut this year's spending.
Federal deficit for 2007 -- the entire year: $160.7 billion. Looking at the chart is pretty depressing. It goes back to 1971, when the deficit was "only" $23 billion. The simple row of numbers in the deficit column shows what a breathtaking leap it was in 2009, when it went from $458.6 billion to $1.412.7 trillion. Only four non-deficit years, in the late Clinton-early GWB years 1998-2001.
