Where Do Our Income Tax Dollars
Go?
[2006 Taxes vs. Government Expenditures]
Friends Committee on National
Legislation, Washington newsletter, March 2007
For each dollar of federal income tax
we paid in 2006, the federal government spent about:
41 cents - for war and preparing for
war (28cents), and obligations from past wars (13 cents), including
veterans programs and interest on the military portion of the
national debt.
19 cents - for health programs, including
Medicaid, which provides nursing home care for the elderly poor,
and health care for the poor and disabled, and parts of Medicare,
which subsidizes health care for older Americans
12 cents - to respond to poverty in the
U.S. with food programs, housing assistance, income supports,
and energy assistance.
10 cents - for interest on the non-military
portion of the national debt
5 cents - to promote community and economic
development, including agricultural programs, highways and mass
transit, and federal communications commission
5 cents - for education, job training,
employment, and social services
4 cents - to run the government, including
law enforcement, homeland security, and benefits for government
employees
3 cents - for science, energy, and environmental
programs
1 cent - for humanitarian aid, diplomatic
missions, and international cooperation
