Because making this distinction (apparently for no reason at all except that it provides a misleading way to present data
Congress/the President don’t pass budgetary acts to set non-discretionary spending. The income/costs are statuary, and so their changes aren’t tied to the horse trading that routinely occurs as part of the appropriations process.
here is a random arbitrary distinction underlying it
The Appropriations Committee holds enormous influence over our national budgetary agenda precisely because they dictate how much money is made available to the various agencies. This isn’t random or arbitrary, it is fundamental to how Congress functions under Article One of the US Constitution.
Setting aside the dishonesty of excluding medicare, medicaid, social security, and the big assistance programs that got passed recently from the “social / economic programs” line on a chart of government spending, yes of course congress / the president pass budgetary acts that set non-discretionary spending. That’s how that spending got there in the first place. Where did you think medicare and medicaid and the student loan forgiveness programs and everything got into the non-discretionary budget in the first place, if not from congress and the president passing budgetary acts?
(This annoyed me so much that I went back and added a downvote to the pile for you)
How is a discussion of discretionary spending changes dishonest? It’s the thing Congress sets every two years.
congress / the president pass budgetary acts that set non-discretionary spending
That’s not how the Social Security Trust or the Medicare Trust Fund work. You don’t appropriate funds at the start of every budget cycle to pay for them.
Congress/the President don’t pass budgetary acts to set non-discretionary spending. The income/costs are statuary, and so their changes aren’t tied to the horse trading that routinely occurs as part of the appropriations process.
The Appropriations Committee holds enormous influence over our national budgetary agenda precisely because they dictate how much money is made available to the various agencies. This isn’t random or arbitrary, it is fundamental to how Congress functions under Article One of the US Constitution.
What on earth are you talking about?
Setting aside the dishonesty of excluding medicare, medicaid, social security, and the big assistance programs that got passed recently from the “social / economic programs” line on a chart of government spending, yes of course congress / the president pass budgetary acts that set non-discretionary spending. That’s how that spending got there in the first place. Where did you think medicare and medicaid and the student loan forgiveness programs and everything got into the non-discretionary budget in the first place, if not from congress and the president passing budgetary acts?
(This annoyed me so much that I went back and added a downvote to the pile for you)
How is a discussion of discretionary spending changes dishonest? It’s the thing Congress sets every two years.
That’s not how the Social Security Trust or the Medicare Trust Fund work. You don’t appropriate funds at the start of every budget cycle to pay for them.
Mm hm
What’s your explanation for the military budget thing?
Pentagon Spending is part of the Biannual NDAA, which falls under the purview of Appropriations.
I mean, in terms of the differences between the numbers in this chart and the numbers from the CBO that I posted.