How is the Budget Doing Under President Obama?

Yesterday’s release of the Treasury’s budget surplus at -$129 billion begs the question: How is the budget doing under President Obama compared to past presidents?

Here’s the comparison.

Total Budget Deficit by U.S. President

The first graphic is the total cumulative federal deficit by president.

Unsurprisingly, the sitting president and congress look quite weak. Over the past 68 months of Obama’s presidency, the cumulative total of the monthly budget position is a deficit of $6.0 trillion.

The $6.0 trillion accumulated under Obama’s tenure is more than twice as much as the total amount accumulated under the three previous presidents that served at least 68 months combined (Bush I is excluded because he was defeated in his reelection bid).

Under Bush II’s Administration, total monthly deficit...