The U.S. government recorded a budget deficit of $194 billion in February, the Treasury Department reported Thursday. That is a drop of $10 billion, or 5%, from the deficit posted in February 2013. Government spending totaled $338 billion in February, up 4% from a year earlier. Receipts were $144 billion, an increase of 18%. For the fiscal year to date, the deficit has dropped 24%, as receipts have risen 9% and spending has fallen 1%.