A Treasury report shows the budget deficit exploded higher in August. The Treasury blames a holiday calendar.

The Monthly Treasury Report does not look pretty.

The US government ran a $214 billion budget deficit in August of 2018 compared with a $107.7 billion budget deficit in August 2017. The report shows a 30% rise in outlays.

Monthly Receipts vs. Outlays

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Receipts by Source, Outlays by Function

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Holiday Excuse

Outlays for Military active duty and retirement, Veterans’ benefits, Supplementary Social Security Income, and Medicare payments to Health Maintenance Organizations and prescription drug plans accelerated into August, because September 1, 2018, the normal payment date, fell on a non-business day. Social Security benefits also accelerated into August since September 3, 2018, the normal payment date, fell on a holiday

Excuses or not, things are ugly. Deficits and the national debt both are up.

Gross Public Debt

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Curiously, Trump proposed using tariffs to reduce the national debt. The idea is downright laughable.