The U.S. national security budget

2. OBAMA’S PROPOSED
DEFENSE BUDGET:
2.5% of GDP

3. Romney’s proposed defense
budget
ROMNEY’S PROPOSED
DEFENSE BUDGET:
4 percent of GDP
4% of GDP

4. 2012 ENTITLEMENT SPENDING AS A PERCENTAGE OF:
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
FEDERAL BUDGET GDP

5. 2012 PROJECTIONS
MANDATORY SPENDING
($2,070)
DEFENSE SPENDING($531)
BILLIONS $
NET INTEREST ($224)
GDP ($15,508)
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

6. SNAPshot
Since 2002, spending for the federal
government’s food stamp program, the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP), has increased 270 percent.
In 2011, SNAP cost $71.8 billion.

7. PICKING UP THE HEALTH CARE TAB
The federal government financed 29
percent of total health spending in
2010, up from 23 percent in 2007. That’s $754
billion of $2.6 trillion spent on health care costs that
year.

8. DEFENSE NOW LESS THAN 20% OF THE BUDGET
In four years, projected defense spending has
been reduced by $800 billion.

9. GUNS VS. BUTTER
Under sequestration, major entitlements
would be cut by 15%. Non-defense discretionary
programs take a hit of 28%.
The military’s budget would drop 43%.

10. 2012 MANDATORY SPENDING PROJECTIONS
In 2012, Social Security is expected to pay
out $770 billion, Medicare will pay $560
billion, Medicaid will provide $262 billion and
unemployment compensation will cost $82
billion.

11. ENTITLEMENT SPENDING INCREASES 2000-2012 (BILLIONS $)
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0 2012
2000

12. 10 YEARS OUT, ENTITLEMENTS SKYROCKET WHILE
DEFENSE STAYS FLAT…

13. AVERAGE POVERTY GUIDELINE 2012
Persons in
family/household Poverty guideline
1 $11,170
2 15,130
3 19,090
4 23,050
5 27,010
6 30,970
7 34,930
8 38,890
For families/households with more than 8 persons,
add $3,960 for each additional person.

14. 2012 ANNUAL REGULAR MILITARY COMPENSATION (RMC)*
Individual Servicemember
Servicemember w/ Family of 4
BASIC PAY $25,884 $25,884
SUBSISTENCE
ALLOWANCE
$4,181 $4,181
HOUSING ALLOWANCE $11,748 $14,808
CASH TOTAL $41,813 $44,873
TAX ADVANTAGE $4,073 $4,073
REGULAR MILITARY
COMPENSATION
$45,972 $48,946
*E-4 servicemember with three years of military service

15. www.aei.org
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