Where has the increased U.S. federal budget gone to?

Question

In 2000, our budget was $1.8 trillion. In 2007, it's $2.8 trillion. What are we spending the extra trillion dollars on?

I realize some of it is the war, some entitlements, etc. But can anyone quantify them for me?

Numbers / sources a must. It baffles me how quickly the budget increased that much.

Answer 1

The war is partially responsible, but it is also a combination of several things, an entire new department has been created since then, the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) which totals around 42.7 billion this year not to mention, extra funding request for natural disasters. Not all of this is new spending though since its comprised of existing agency before its creation.

The federal government will spend $274 billion on interest on national debt, and this increases every year (13% increase from last year). Each program increase its budget every year, Social security increase by 7% which is roughly an increase of $30 billion in one year, Medicare increased by 12% which is around $35 billion in one year. So if you calculate all the programs increasing spending it adds up.

Also there are alot of pork barrel funds and with alot of little program for specific areas, it adds up quickly. i.e. $95 million for dairy farmers, $100 million for citrus assitance, $4.2 million for shrimp agriculture research, $50 million for asbestos mitigation at the U.S. Capitol Plant, $60.4 million for salmon fisheries in the Klamath River region in California and Oregon, $13.5 million for the International Fund for Ireland, which helped finance the World Toilet Summit, and the list goes on and on. You could write a novel with amount of small pork funds. Before you know it we are at $2.8 trillion.

Answer 2

Much of it goes into pork projects that our federal legislators slip into bills to cement their legacies.

More is misspent on poorly bid projects

Even more goes to the ever increasing budget for the ever increasing staff supporting our richer and richer representatives on the hill and their ever increasing salaries.

A good deal of it goes into failed programs like the Education Department which burns through trillions of dollars that have little or no effect on the quality of the education our local schools can offer in buildings that are falling down around the country.

We have a bill currently in discussion at the state level for hand sanitizer to be mandatory in the public schools. Many of those schools do not have running water, no kidding, no running water in the schools. This is not in a podunk community, it is in Chicago a city that consumes massive amounts of public funds, not unlike LA, New York, Miami you add yours.

Want some money? Get yourself elected to public office at the state level, one term that's all you need and you'll never have to work again.

now ask me what I really think?

Answer 3

There aren't that many new ratholes, it's just that most of the existing ratholes got larger. Interest on the debt is probably one of the fastest-growing ratholes.

Answer 4

Here is the White House site on where the money goes. It goes everywhere. The more money spent the merrier.


http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/tables.html

Answer 5

We need to throw our entire system down the rathole and start a new one that doesn't spend that much money.

Answer 6

Health care, welfare, and education for the foreigners who should be in jail for breaking into our country illegally.

Answer 7

Some imaginary programs designed to better our nation. Oh, and welfare, schooling, housing, and medical coverage for illegal aliens.

Answer 8

The answer is ....who cares. You give it to them, they will spend it and then some. I say cut 'em off, that way they only spend more than we can afford, but they just might leave our children/grandchildren alone.

Answer 9

Into the pockets of Bush and Cheney and their soulless friends.