THAT’S A QUARTER OF A TRILLION DOLLARS IN ONE MONTH: Federal Deficit Widened to a Record $249 Billion Last Month. “The federal government spent $501 billion last month, a $28 billion increase to a record high, while tax revenue dropped by $29 billion compared with last November, with the government collecting $252 billion. Adjusting for calendar differences in last year’s tax receipts, government tax revenue dropped $13 billion compared with last November, the Treasury Department said Monday.”