The Federal Government on Autopilot: Mandatory Spending and the Entitlement Crisis

Since the 1930s, the federal government has grown exponentially through the creation of entitlement programs to deliver retirement and health benefits to the American people, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, unemployment insurance, the Earned Income Tax Credit, disability insurance, and others. With many of the entitlement programs growing automatically, it has had a dramatic impact on other government spending, including funding for the military and for operation of the federal courts, the deficit, and overall fiscal health. At the hearing next week, members of the task force will examine the issues surrounding federal mandatory spending.

“Our nation’s entitlement programs are on autopilot, driving our nation further and further into debt and putting a tighter and tighter squeeze on spending for important functions like funding the military and the federal courts. This path is unsustainable. The Task Force on Executive Overreach will examine the many issues fueling our nation’s entitlement crisis and look for ways to rein in this growing problem.”