The federal government has run budget deficits exceeding $1 trillion for the last two fiscal years, and the deficit for the first two months of fiscal year 2011 was just over $290 billion according to the Treasury Department. The Aspen Institute hosted a discussion to get a variety of perspectives on the issue. Participants included Grover Norquist from Americans for Tax Reform and Andy Stern, the former president of the SEIU labor organization and member of the president’s Commission on Fiscal Responsibility.