While President Obama talks about reining in the deficit, government debt has grown by $3.4 trillion during the first 29 months of his Administration – the equivalent of about $4 billion per day.  In addition to forcing a showdown on the debt limit, this massive debt is weighing heavily on job creation, contributing to an unemployment rate above 9 percent for yet another month.  As a result, the Obama Misery Index – which measures the rise in unemployment and debt since the Obama Administration began – rose to 72 percent in June, a near record level.

Source: Ways and Means staff calculations, using Department of Labor and Department of Treasury data.