Discretionary Budget

The Fiscal Year 2003 budget request includes $767 billion for discretionary spending (the money the President and Congress must decide and act to spend each year), $396 billion of which will go to the Pentagon. The "National Defense" category of the federal budget for FY'03 accounts for over half (51.6 percent) of all discretionary spending.

The other category of federal spending is mandatory spending, money that is spent in compliance with existing laws which govern the particular program or function. Mandatory spending includes entitlements, money or benefits provided directly to individuals such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Federal Retirement. It also includes interest payments on the national debt.

Printer friendly chart

NOTE: The "Social Security & Medicare" funding in this graph refers to administrative costs associated with these programs, and does not reflect actual benefits paid out.

 

Prepared by Christopher Hellman CDI Senior Analyst chellman@cdi.org

BACK TO THE TOP    MILITARY BUDGET HOME    CDI ISSUES    CDI HOME