White House: 2014 deficit to drop to $583B

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says this year’s budget deficit will drop to $583 billion, the lowest level of President Barack Obama’s tenure.

Last year’s deficit was $680 billion. The latest update from the White House budget office is also $66 billion less than the administration predicted earlier this year when releasing the president’s budget.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects an even lower deficit of $492 billion for the budget year ending Sept. 30.

The unexpected White House release came as the Treasury Department announced separately that the government ran a surplus of $71 billion for the month of June.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS