The Congressional Budget Office this week published its estimates for the finances for the first three months of the fiscal year. Looking at what we know about the first two months, it looks like the government actually ran a $44 billion surplus for December. As a result, according to CBO, the estimated deficit for the first three months of fiscal 2014 was $182 billion—that would represent at 38 percent decline from $292 billion in the first three months of fiscal 2013.

Think about that. Through the first 13 weeks of the current fiscal year, the deficit has declined by $110 billion—or about $8.5 billion per week. The $6.4 billion needed to extend unemployment benefits represents about five days of deficit reduction.