Report: Welfare government’s single largest budget item in FY 2011 at approx. $1.03 trillion
12:00 AM 10/18/2012
The total sum taxpayers spent on federal welfare programs was derived from a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on federal welfare spending — which topped out at $745.84 billion for fiscal year 2011 — combined with an analysis from the Republican Senate Budget Committee staff of state spending on federal welfare programs (based on “The Oxford Handbook of State and Local Government Finance”), which reached $282.7 billion in fiscal year 2011.
The data excludes spending on Social Security, Medicare, means-tested health care for veterans
without service-connected disabilities, and the means-tested veterans pension program.\According to the CRS report, which focused solely on federal spending for federal welfare programs, spending on federal welfare programs increased $563.413 billion in fiscal year 2008 to $745.84 billion in fiscal year 2011 — a 32 percent increase.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/18/report-welfare-governments-single-largest-budget-item-in-fy-2011-at-approx-1-03-trillion/#ixzz29eyKIIjn
Welfare spending jumps 32 percent in four years
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The steady rise in welfare spending, which covers more than 80 programs primarily designed to help low-income Americans, got a big boost from the 2009 stimulus and has grown, albeit somewhat more slowly, in 2010 and 2011. One reason is that more people are qualifying in the weak economy, but the federal government also has broadened eligibility so that more people qualify for programs.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who requested the Congressional Research Service report, said it underscores a fundamental shift in welfare, moving away from a Band-Aid and toward a more permanent crutch.
“No longer should we measure compassion by how much money the government spends but by how many people we help to rise out of poverty,” the Alabama conservative said. “Welfare assistance should be seen as temporary whenever possible and the goal must be to help more of our fellow citizens attain gainful employment and financial independence.”
Overall, welfare spending as measured by obligations has grown from $563 billion in fiscal 2008 to $746 billion in fiscal 2011, or a jump of 32 percent.
In the wake of the Treasury Department’s newly released summary
of federal spending for 2012, it’s now possible to detail just how
profligate the Obama years have been. Here’s the upshot: Under Obama,
for every $7 we’ve had, we’ve spent nearly $11 (or, to be more exact,
$10.95). That’s like a family that makes $70,000 a year — and is
already knee-deep in debt — blowing nearly $110,000 a year.
To
illustrate this a bit differently, for every Jackson ($20) we’ve had
available to spend under Obama, we’ve also borrowed a Hamilton ($10) and
a Washington ($1) and spent those too. The only thing is that, under
Obama, we’ve (literally) spent the equivalent of 342 billion Jacksons,
342 billion Hamiltons, and 342 billion Washingtons — borrowing all of
the Hamiltons and Washingtons.
Let’s take a look at the scorecard, based on official government figures. In fiscal year 2012
(which ended on September 30), the federal government acquired $2.449
trillion in tax revenue and other receipts. It spent $3.538 trillion —
44 percent more than it had available to spend. The resulting deficit
was $1.089 trillion.
In fiscal year 2011 (see table S-1),
the federal government acquired $2.303 trillion in tax revenues and
other receipts. It spent $3.603 trillion — 56 percent more than it had
available to spend. The resulting deficit was $1.3 trillion.
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