Government Report: Federal budget deficit to hit $900 billion this year

A new government report says that the U.S. budget deficit is set to hit $897 billion this year and predicts that economic growth will slow as the effects of President Donald Trump’s tax cut on business investment begin to drop off.

The Congressional Budget Office Report predicts a $118 billion increase over last year’s $779 billion deficit. According to the U.S. National Debt Clock, which tracks government debt and spending live, the federal government’s debt is about to hit $22-trillion.

The CBO predicts in a report released Monday that the economy will grow by 2.3 percent this year, a slowdown from 3.1 percent last year.

The report comes as the government is reopening after a 35-day partial shutdown. The CBO says the shutdown will have a modest negative impact on the economy.

The report lands in a divided Washington, where neither Trump nor Democrats controlling the House are expected to make curbing the deficit a priority.

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)