Budget details
Where did $1.98 million come from?
The American Friends Service Committee, using figures from the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), estimates that the United States spent $1.98 million on the military every minute during 2009.
FCNL estimates:
- 33% of federal income tax dollars were spent on military programs:
- 24% for current military programs,
- 6% for debt incurred to pay for the military,
- 3% for benefits paid to those who served in the military in the past.
FCNL provides details of their methods on their web site:
- How Were Your 2009 Incomes Taxes Spent?
- Budget Analysis: It's How You Slice the Pie
FCNL’s estimate includes a total spending of $2,189,124,000,000 from the money our income taxes are used for which does not include Social Security or Medicare (those are paid for differently).
This year that estimate includes $1,039,531,000,000 for military related programs. From these figures, we calculated $1,977,798.71 per minute, and rounded to $1.98 million dollars a minute.
What about the chart showing 59% is military spending?
We use two different numbers to drive home the message that military spending is too high: $1.98 million per minute in 2009, and 59% of discretionary spending in the 2011 budget.
$1.98 million per minute refers to the amount of our taxes actually spent by the federal government in 2009.
59% is the percentage of the proposed 2011 discretionary budget targeted for military spending. This does not include all the budgeted spending, just the programs that get approved every year. Some groups argue if you look through the fine print of the budget that figure could be pushed even higher. It’s likely they are right.
This Federal Budget Pie Chart for 2011 uses figures from the proposal that President Obama presented to Congress in February 2010. You can see the plan online at www.whitehouse.gov/omb.