(Patrick Semansky | AP file photo) In this Dec. 9, 2019, photo, mist rolls over the U.S. Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington. The federal government recorded a budget deficit of $1.88 trillion for the first eight months of 2020, larger than even any annual shortfalls in U.S. history. The sea of red ink grew as government spending shot up to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and tax revenue shrank when millions lost their jobs.