They each said the budget deficit was the nation's No. 1 problem.

Then I would say he has to get the budget deficit down.

The government has been running a budget deficit since 1988.

The budget deficit already is being cut by about $30 billion a year.

Among other things, they take the focus away from the need to bring down the budget deficit.

The federal budget deficit hit a record of $413 billion in 2004.

Even so, the budget deficit will be at least $250 billion.

The increase has been held up because of the state's budget deficit.

Between 1933 and 1941 the average federal budget deficit was 3% per year.

The tax was part of an effort to cut the state's growing budget deficit, which is now nearly $15 billion.