Budget deficit widens, Largest April deficit ever, $82.7 billion shortfall

From Bloomberg, May 12, 2010.

“Budget Deficit in U.S. Widened to $82.7 Billion in April”

“The U.S. reported a budget deficit for April, the second such shortfall since 1983 for the month that typically sees an increase in income tax payments.

The excess of spending over revenue rose to $82.7 billion last month compared with a $20.9 billion gap in April 2009, the Treasury Department said today in Washington. It was the largest April deficit ever and exceeded the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey.

April marked a record 19th straight monthly shortfall, highlighting the challenges facing the Obama administration. Deterioration in the government’s balance sheet in coming years raises the risk of higher interest rates even as an improving economy helps generate taxable income.

“We’re not going to see the deficit come down until economy gets healthier,” Gary Thayer, chief macro strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC in St. Louis, said before the report. “We still have some important problems with the economy. There’s still a tendency by policy makers and lawmakers to address the problem with additional spending.”

The government’s April budget deficit compares with a median forecast of $57.9 billion, according to a Bloomberg survey of 30 economists. Projections ranged from deficits of $20 billion to $90 billion.”

“Revenue Declines

Revenue and other income fell 7.9 percent to $245.3 billion in April from $266.2 billion the same month last year, the Treasury said.”

“Spending for the entire government for April jumped 14.2 percent from the same month a year earlier to $328 billion.”
“The Obama administration forecasts a $1.6 trillion budget deficit in the current fiscal year that began Oct. 1. President Barack Obama’s debt commission met April 27, the first of a series of meetings aimed at producing a plan to reduce the deficit.

Administration officials and Democrats in Congress are looking to the commission for recommendations on reducing the federal debt, which is currently projected to reach 90 percent of the economy by 2020. Interest payments are forecast to quadruple to more than $900 billion annually by that year.”

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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agqhhoO8_cS0&pos=3