Budget puzzle

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In fiscal year 2007, the federal government spent $2.7 trillion. In 2010, the federal government spent about $3.7 trillion. Obama is proposing to spend that amount next year. Data from here.

That’s an extra TRILLION dollars in three years. Yet I keep reading that only 20% of the budget is “discretionary,” a silly word that seems even sillier in the face of these numbers.

The implication is that most of that increase of a TRILLION dollars was in so-called non-discretionary spending.

Does someone have the data that shows what categories of spending increased to account for the increase of a TRILLION dollars?

The brave Republicans are trying to cut $100 billion. That sounds like a big number. Compared to $3.7 trillion it’s a very small number.

So what would be so hard about going back to the level of nominal spending in 2007 of $2.7 trillion? Why isn’t that proposal on the table?

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