MSNBC economic analyst Steven Rattner claimed on Twitter March 22 that February was a record-breaking month for the federal deficit.
From Check Your Fact:
“Just in from the Treasury Dept: The largest ever deficit for a Feb bringing the 12-month tally to $932bn (32% wider Y/Y),” he tweeted.
Verdict: True
The $234 billion deficit reported this February is the largest monthly deficit on record, including all other February deficits, according to data from the Treasury Department.
Fact Check:
The day of Rattner’s tweet, the Treasury Department published a report calculating the federal budget deficit for the fiscal year to date, including the month of February. The federal government collected $167 billion in receipts that month and spent $401 billion, resulting in a $234 billion deficit, the largest monthly deficit on record, according to Treasury Department data dating back to fiscal year 1981.
