Facts on federal spending reviewed
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Editor,
Mr. Simpach was very passionate in his letter to the editor criticizing my letter regarding the deficit and federal spending during President Obama’s first term. However, he overlooked a very simple explanation for the fact that spending has basically flattened under President Obama, in spite of a deficit increase during his term.
Every incoming president inherits the previous president’s budget. When Barack Obama came into office in 2009, he inherited a budget set by former President Bush, which was passed by Congress in 2008 and which was in place four months before Obama took the oath of office. This budget included the stimulus plan that added substantially to the deficit.
The actual federal spending for which President Obama was responsible in his first term was the lowest since President Eisenhower. This information is confirmed by data from the Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Haver Analytics.
I hope these “accurate facts and logical conclusions” will address Mr. Simpach’s concerns.
Jackie Ladner
Polson
