In fact, the federal government collected a record $1,665,484,000,000 in individual income taxes in calendar year 2018. Total US government revenue is estimated to be $3.422 trillion for Fiscal Year 2019 . But despite these all-time record government revenues, WE STILL HAVE A BUDGET DEFICIT.
The problem is the same as it’s always been –
government spending. To a large degree both parties are to blame. All politicians are drunk on spending. Members of Congress are rated by their constituents on how much federal money they bring back into their districts from Washington. In the early 1960’s the government professor at Cornell, Ted Lowi, defined Democrat strategy as "Spend, spend, spend, elect, elect, elect."
In fact all of the political class is indebted to spending as a way of staying in office and retaining power.