2008 United States Federal Budget - Total Spending

Total Spending

Further information: Government spending

The President's budget for 2008 totals $2.9 trillion. Percentages in parentheses indicate percentage change compared to 2007. This budget request is broken down by the following expenditures:

  • Mandatory spending: $1.788 trillion (+4.2%)
    • $608 billion (+4.5%) - Social Security
    • $386 billion (+5.2%) - Medicare
    • $209 billion (+5.6%) - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
    • $324 billion (+1.8%) - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
    • $261 billion (+9.2%) - Interest on National Debt
  • Discretionary spending: $1.114 trillion (+3.1%)
    • $481.4 billion (+12.1%) - Department of Defense
    • $145.2 billion (+45.8%) - Global War on Terror
    • $69.3 billion (+0.3%) - Department of Health and Human Services
    • $56.0 billion (+0.0%) - Department of Education
    • $39.4 billion (+18.7%) - Department of Veterans Affairs
    • $35.2 billion (+1.4%) - Department of Housing and Urban Development
    • $35.0 billion (+22.0%) - Department of State and Other International Programs
    • $34.3 billion (+7.2%) - Department of Homeland Security
    • $24.3 billion (+6.6%) - Department of Energy
    • $20.2 billion (+4.1%) - Department of Justice
    • $20.2 billion (+3.1%) - Department of Agriculture
    • $17.3 billion (+6.8%) - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    • $12.1 billion (+13.1%) - Department of Transportation
    • $12.1 billion (+6.1%) - Department of the Treasury
    • $10.6 billion (+2.9%) - Department of the Interior
    • $10.6 billion (-9.4%) - Department of Labor
    • $51.8 billion (+9.7%) - Other On-budget Discretionary Spending
    • $39.0 billion - Other Off-budget Discretionary Spending

The Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan are not included in the regular budget. Instead they are funded through special appropriations.

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