What caused the US Federal budget deficit to reach $1.4 billion?

$1.4 billion! LOL We wish we had that problem.

I think you mean $1.4 Trillion!!!

It's trillion not billion.

The bank bailout, the stimulus, the auto bailout.

The trillions upon trillions of currency borrowed from the Federal Reserve Corporation of which the government of the USA (meaning us) has to pay back and cannot even pay on the daily interest.

Just think how much interest is paid each day at .25% compounded on the unpaid balance in 1.4 Trillion which by the way the true deficit is actually closer to 5 Trillion or was the last time I heard.

Un controlled spending in Washington....the bank and auto bailouts, combined with the stimulus was more spending then most president do in a full 4 year term... and get ready cause after 3 more years of this our deficit will be 1.4 quadrillion....

A combination of fiscal irresponsibility by Congress and a deliberate program of theft concocted by those who worked hard to foist the Federal Reserve Bank on us a hundred years ago.

It probably had to do with the recession of 1895 or something.
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Ah, how I long for the days when a billion was considered a lot of money.

Fighting two wars on two fronts runs that up. Tax cuts while paying for two wars.

it's expensive to eliminate terrorism. Even if it is expensive it can't be stopped terrorists must be eliminated.

A good example is a man or woman with a pocket full of credit cards.

The cards are all maxed out and no money to pay for them.

Living beyond their means.

Same with the Federal Government. you cannot print money if you do not have the gold reserves to back it.