Data published by the White House show federal spending has inched upward annually since 1965.

But no other year comes close to matching 2009's $3.997 trillion gusher -- a spending binge that's helped put Congress on track for a record $1.8 trillion deficit.

By way of comparison, in fiscal year 2008, Congress tore through a total of $3 trillion with a then-record deficit of $458 billion, according to White House figures.

And the amount of government debt held by the public will have ballooned from $5.8 trillion to $8.5 trillion in less than a year.