Federal Spending Increases Despite Government Cuts

Despite President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aiming to cut programs and reduce the size of the government workforce, the federal deficit has increased.

The Details: Federal spending for the fiscal year beginning October 1 has exceeded the spending in the same period of the previous fiscal year by $342 billion, as reported by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Defense spending saw a $39 billion increase compared to fiscal 2024. Spending on the Department of Homeland Security jumped by $18 billion, reflecting the administration's efforts to deport 1 million immigrants within the calendar year. However, the largest contributors to the spending surge remain Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which together have spent nearly $1.5 trillion in the fiscal year, up $70 billion from the past year.

For Context: The rising spending has sparked debate around the “big, beautiful bill,” a massive tax, immigration, and energy package proposed by Trump and his allies. Fiscal conservatives are seeking at least $2 trillion in spending cuts as part of the measure, which aims to make permanent the trillions more dollars in tax cuts from Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

How The Media Covered It: The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) emphasized the drivers of the spending increase, namely Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and the administration's priorities. Just The News (Lean Right) focused on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report and the ongoing debate among Republicans about the level of spending cuts and tax cuts to be included in the budget reconciliation bill.

Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission.