Aides on Capitol Hill on Friday said that the latest figures on the deficit produced by congressional economists show the federal budget deficit will exceed $1.8 trillion in 2009. The deficit will get only slightly better in 2010 with a deficit of almost $1.4 trillion under the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) latest figures. Democrats in Congress are preparing U.S. President Barack Obama's budget for preliminary votes next week. Obama's figures are in line with those from the CBO for the current year but slightly lower for 2010.
