Congressional Budget Office estimates federal spending is up $144 billion in first half of 2025

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Wednesday released its monthly budget review for June, estimating that the United States' federal spending is up by $144 billion in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

The office also estimated that the federal budget deficit for the first nine months of the 2025 fiscal year, which began in October, is $1.3 trillion. The number is $65 billion more than it was for the first nine months of the 2024 fiscal year.

"For the first half of the calendar year, we have seen a year-over-year rise of $144 billion in government spending, despite all the talk of bringing spending down," Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas said.

"If lawmakers want to cut taxes, they need to control spending, and given our debt levels, they should reduce it by more than they cut taxes," she continued. "These numbers cause one to wonder if DOGE was merely a distraction rather than an effective focus on cutting this year’s deficit. Bottom line—high levels of debt combined with tax cuts and growing spending is a recipe for fiscal disaster, and we should change course immediately."

The estimate comes after Congress passed a massive funding bill last week that the White House expects to spur economic growth. However, the CBO last month predicted that the legislation will add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over 10 years.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.