If this is the case, there was no “surplus” during Clinton years.
The national debt increased each and every year he was in office. The following is a link to government website:
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm
If the national debt interest payments are not included into the government budget, than the government is simply involved in cooking books.
Before you jump on me for not mentioning Bush, the current administration is much worse offender when it comes to out-of-control government spending (including out-of-control spending on domestic programs) than previous administrations.
Unfortunately, current Dem majority in Congress will probably keep the spending in line what Bush was doing.
Even with tax cuts from few years ago, government has received record revenues – they just find more ways to spend “little extra” in excess of that revenue.
Kind of, and kind of not.
The budget is set up when the government recieves tax dollars. However, the Federal Reserves takes out 60% of that to put on the interest, which leaves the government with 6.2 trillion, if I’m not mistaken.
The only way you could ever get America out of debt is if you dismantle the Federal Reserves. That’s what I would do if I was Congress and the President.
Interest expense is included in the budget. If you review the budget for 2000, the interest payout was just under $300 billion.