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COVID-19 pandemic impact on US deficits

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on US deficits, including the role of emergency laws, tax cuts, and spending changes

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Jan 16, 2026
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Can you compare the federal deficits for the past 15 years

The past 15 fiscal years show a clear arc: deficits fell from the Great Recession peak into the mid-2010s, widened again after 2017 tax and spending changes, exploded during the COVID pandemic, and th...

Jan 8, 2026

What portion of the $7.8 trillion increase is attributable to COVID‑19 emergency legislation versus tax cuts and baseline policies?

Two competing bookkeeping stories exist about the roughly $7.8 trillion rise in U.S. deficits over the relevant span: one that isolates pandemic emergency laws and counts roughly $3.6–$3.9 trillion of...