Was there a deficit right at the very end of...?

Question

Bill Clinton's presidency?

I hear a lot of Republicans say there was,and I hear a lot of Democrats say there wasn't :D

I would like an educated answering and not trashing the other side. Also,please provide a legitimate source for your claim. Thank you

Answer 1

Bush inherited a recession from Clinton yes. Deficit no.

Answer 2

National debt is different than deficit.

Deficit is the diffence each year as to what the govt brings in versus what the government spends. After Clinton and a Republican Congress there was a budget surplus but declining. The National debt was about $6B.

Answer 3

Let me try to explain it this way: If there is a surplus then that means that the government over-taxed it's citizens and should give it back...back to those who actually earned it.

Does this help?

Answer 4

When Clinton left office he left with the biggest budget surplus in US history.

Answer 5

The economy was a success during, and at the end of, the Clinton administration. The sane Republicans even admit this. It is the far right Clinton haters who are trying to re-write history.

This line is from wikipedia:

The surplus in fiscal year 2000 was $237 billion—the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever.[35]

..which comes from:

Office of Management! and Budget; National Economic Council, 9/27/00

And the Republicans who tell you that it was only because of a "Republican Congress" overlook the fact that Clinton had to reign in alot of the congressional spending with his veto.

Answer 6

Actually there has been a deficit every year for the past 40 years, due to the Social Security payments that the government sends out, with the exception of the second to last year that Clinton was in office.  The Clinton years did see less deficit than in previous or years since but we've always had a deficit, when you include Social Security, and you absolutely should because that is money that we taxpayers are paying into the government and they are in turn spending.