Congress to Spend $15,000 Per U.S. Family by October
Weeks Before New Fiscal Year, Congress Has Yet to Chart Course of 2008 Spending
September 10, 2007
Contact: Jim Harper (202) 486-0824
http://www.washingtonwatch.com
Washington, D.C. — With just weeks to go before the beginning of the new fiscal year, Congress has yet to establish spending levels for 2008. If it completes its work on time, Congress will spend nearly $15,000 per U.S. family in the coming few weeks. Fiscal Year 2008 begins October 1st. None of the appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2008 have been passed yet.
The twelve pending appropriations bills amount to more than $15,000 in spending per U.S. family. At this late date, Congress is likely to pass these important bills hurriedly and without careful consideration, perhaps in an omnibus package.
Listed below are the costs today of proposed spending bills for Fiscal Year 2008 per U.S. family, based on population figures and interest rates as of September 6, 2007.
WashingtonWatch.com uses government predictions about the costs or savings from proposed laws to calculate the significance to average Americans - in dollars and cents - of proposed changes to the nation's policies. More information about these calculations is available on the "about" page of the Web site.
Agriculture - Costs: $400.56
(Senate version - $738.17)
Commerce/Justice/Science - Costs: $533.32
(Senate version - $535.88)
Defense - Costs: $4,625.93
Energy & Water - Costs: $320.01
(Senate version - $323.32)
Financial Services - Costs: $419.22
Homeland Security - Costs: $384.19
(Senate version - $385.77)
Interior & Environment - Costs: $279.00
(Senate version - $277.32)
Labor/HHS/Education - Costs: $5,861.36
(Senate version - $5,890.22)
Legislative Branch - Costs: $33.47
(Senate version - $29.81)
Military/Veterans - Costs: $935.14
(Senate version - $940.45)
State/Foreign Operations - Costs: $329.34
Transportation/HUD - Costs: $1,119.11
(Senate version - $1,120.18)
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