Since the President took office, annual government spending has increased by 25% , with the federal government spending $3.6 trillion this past year. As a share of the economy – Federal spending has averaged over 24% of gross domestic product – the highest level as a share of the economy since World War II. (Budget House)
Obama and Senate Republicans reached a fiscal cliff deal late Monday. The deal will include new tax hikes on wealthy Americans and no cuts in Obama’s record spending.
The Washington Post reported:
President Obama and Senate leaders struck a bipartisan agreement late Monday to let income taxes rise sharply for the first time in two decades, fulfilling Obama’s promise to raise taxes on the rich and avoiding the worst effects of the “fiscal cliff.”
The agreement, brokered by Vice President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), primarily targets taxpayers who earn more than $450,000 per year, raising their rates for wages and investment profits. At the same time, the deal would protect more than 100 million households earning less than $250,000 a year from income tax increases scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.