. . . except for the big ones.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has really gotten into gear in the last couple of weeks, moving eight of the twelve spending bills that are supposed to pass by October 1st. But it hasn’t moved the Defense or Labor/HHS bills, which are consistently the biggest of the bunch—more than $5,000 per family each.

Still, it’s nice to get a look at where the money will go in the coming year. The Financial Services, State/Foreign Operations, and Transportation/Housing and Urban Development spending bills are the latest to come out. They spend about $460, $500, and $1,310 per U.S. family in their respective areas, bringing to $6,500 the amount of spending per family underway in the Senate. Again, the Defense and Labor/HHS will at least double—and come closer to tripling—that number.

These bills have only come out of committee. They have not had votes on the Senate floor, nor have they been reconciled with their mostly non-existent House versions before getting a final vote. The deadline for doing all that is October 1st, and it’s almost certain Congress will fail to meet that deadline for most bills.

* Cost per average-sized U.S. family; amounts are approximate; changes in interest rates alter net present value calculation