According to an updated projection made by the Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday, the federal budget deficit is expected to reach $1.9 trillion in fiscal year 2018. This is $400 billion or 27% more than what the agency predicted in February.

In the long term, debt in the United States will reach $57 trillion by 2034. This is $2.5 trillion more than was previously predicted, as Social Security, Medicare, and interest payments continue to rise, while revenues are not keeping pace. Growing imbalances are expected to dominate upcoming budget and tax debates in Congress.

The fiscal 2024 deficit is expected to increase due to four factors. The biggest increase is $145 billion due to the changes made by the Biden administration to student loan repayment programs and a proposed new forgiveness program which would waive some accrued interests for millions of borrowers. The second program has not been finalized yet but could be implemented as early as this fall.

The CBO also increased projected expenditures for deposit insurance by approximately $70 billion, because the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation does not recover disbursements as quickly as expected when it resolved five bank failures in the last fiscal and current fiscal years. Three of the five failures that will occur in 2023 are among the biggest bank failures ever in the US. The FDIC is temporarily increasing fees for hundreds of insured banks, and selling failed banks’ assets to replenish the multi-billion dollar hit it has taken to its Deposit Insurance Fund as a result of recent bank failures.

The new legislation increases projected discretionary expenditures by $60 billion. Estimated Medicaid spending is also about $50 billion more than anticipated because the actual spending in fiscal year 2020 has been higher than expected. The fiscal year started on October 1.

CBO says that the cumulative deficit for the period 2025-2034 is projected to be 10% or $2.1 trillion higher.

In this year’s election, the ballooning deficits of the United States remain at the forefront. Both presumptive candidates President Joe Biden (and former President Donald Trump) promise to improve America’s fiscal situation – in very different manners.

The imbalance between federal expenditures and tax revenues will also be a major factor in the discussions that Congress will have on the budget for fiscal year 2025, the return to the debt ceiling next January, and many of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 expiring at the end the year.

The individual income tax and estate tax reductions of more than $3.4 trillion are due to expire by the end 2025. A separate CBO study found that the impact of corporate tax changes, interest and other factors on the deficit is $4.6 trillion.

Congress will not allow the entire tax cut to expire, even though it would increase the deficit. Trump and Republican legislators have said that they want them to be extended, whereas Biden and Democratic legislators are calling for higher taxes on corporations and people earning over $400,000 per year.

The CBO estimates that the deficit in fiscal 2024 will be $2.8 trillion and then grow to $2 trillion by 2034.

The agency stated that in relation to the economic output, the federal debt held by public will increase from 99% to 122% this fiscal year, surpassing the historical peak.

Michael Peterson said that “the CBO’s report shows the outlook for America’s critical national debt problem is worsening”, in a press release. “This is a critical time for a nationwide conversation about these important fiscal and economic issues that we will need to address in the coming year and beyond.”

Immigration lowers the deficit

The CBO report shows that immigration surges in recent years are expected to reduce deficits by $0.9 trillion between 2024 and 2034.

The agency examined a category of immigration that included people who entered the US legally through parole authority, but may still be awaiting immigration proceedings. It also looked at people who were granted temporary legal status and remained in the US after the expiration date.

CBO projects that the net immigration for this group will be 2.4 million people in 2024, and then decline in subsequent years. The agency estimates that between 2021 and 2026 the number of immigrants in this category will be 8,7 million more than if net immigration had remained at the expected level. It warns, however, that these projections may be subject to “much uncertainly.”

The agency estimates that the surge will boost revenues by $1.2 trillion in the next decade. This is mainly because immigrants are expected to pay income and payroll tax on their earnings. The agency estimates that approximately half of the immigrants will have work authorizations and that those without permits will still pay taxes.

The agency predicts that the increased immigration will also lead to a greater economic activity which will boost income and taxes.

Uninsured rates expected to increase

According to a CBO report released on Tuesday, the nation’s uninsured rates hit a record low of 7.2% in 2018. However, that number is expected to increase to 8.9% by 2034. The rise is due to a number of factors, including the expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies in 2025, and the ending of the Covid-19 pandemic provisions that prevented states from disenrolling Medicaid recipients until 2023.

According to the estimates of the agency, the largest increase in uninsured adults will be between the ages of 19 and 44. As the population grows older, Medicare enrollment will increase from 61 millions this year to approximately 74 million by 2034. As a result, the number of people covered by Medicaid is expected to fall from 92 millions last year to 79 million over the next few years.

The Affordable Care Act enrollment will reach a record high of 23 millions people in the coming year, and then drop to 16 million by 2034. According to a CBO third report, extending subsidies permanently beyond 2025 will increase coverage of the individual market (on and off the Obamacare Exchanges) by 7.1 million.

Biden’s campaign will be disappointed by the CBO’s projections on health insurance coverage. The president has repeatedly praised the expansion of coverage for health insurance during his administration. As part of the negotiations to extend 2017 tax cuts, Congressional Democrats hope to extend enhanced subsidies.