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In American public finance, discretionary spending is government spending implemented through an appropriations bill. [1] This spending is an optional part of fiscal policy , in contrast to social programs for which funding is mandatory and determined by the number of eligible recipients. [ 2 ]
Discretionary spending requires an annual appropriation bill, which is a piece of legislation. Discretionary spending is typically set by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and their various subcommittees. Since the spending is typically for a fixed period (usually a year), it is said to be under the discretion of the
Figure B provides a snapshot of the major discretionary government spending categories as of the fiscal year 2019 budget approved by Congress. As the figure suggests, over 50% of discretionary spending is attributed to national defense. The remaining 48% of funds is divided among non-defense items such as transportation and education.
Less than one-third of the federal budget in fiscal year 2024 consisted of discretionary spending, which Congress approves annually. Nearly half of discretionary spending goes toward defense ...
Discretionary spending is non-essential spending that isn't mandatory for your basic needs like shelter, food, healthcare, work and personal care. Many expenses are essential, but discretionary...
Every year, Congress has to approve discretionary spending through the annual appropriations process. That includes areas like the $305 billion spent on education and other social services and the ...
Mandatory Spending as a Percent of the Federal Budget. Prior to the Great Depression, nearly all federal expenditures were discretionary. Mandatory spending grew following the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935. An increasing percentage of the federal budget became devoted to mandatory spending. [3]
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