Opinion
George W. Bush spent big, Obama spends even bigger
By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
March 18, 2009
Barack Obama promised a government of “change,” but his presidency so far has been more of the same — a lot more of the same big spending condoned by Republican President George W. Bush.
• Bush expanded the federal budget by a historic $700 billion through 2008. Obama’s proposed 2010 budget would add an additional $1 trillion.
• Bush began a string of expensive financial bailouts, which Obama is vastly expanding.
• Bush created a Medicare drug entitlement that will cost an estimated $800 billion in its first decade. Obama seeks a $634 billion down payment on a complete government takeover of health care.
• Bush increased federal education outlays 58 percent faster than inflation. Obama would double total education spending.
• Bush became the first president to spend 3 percent of gross domestic product on federal anti-poverty programs. Obama is increasing this spending by 20 percent.
• Even with his tax cuts, upper-income Americans shouldered a greater proportion of the income tax burden under Bush. Obama would continue that trend.
• Bush presided over a $2.5 trillion increase in the public debt through 2008. Not counting 2009, which the two presidents share with an additional $2.6 trillion in public debt, Obama’s budget would add $4.9 trillion in public debt from the beginning of 2010 through 2016.
In 2007, before the recession, Washington spent $24,172 per U.S. household. Under Obama, that figure rises to $32,463 per household, an inflation-adjusted $8,000 expansion of government spending per household.
“President Obama has framed his budget as a break from the ‘failed policies’ of the Bush administration,” says Heritage budget analyst Brian Riedl. “Actually, his budget doubles down on Bush’s borrow, spend and bail out policies.”
mtapscott@dcexaminer.com
More from Mark Tapscott
- Yankee Institute posts every penny spent by Connecticut state governmet
- Marist Poll finds strong majority favor airing Tebow ad during Super Bowl telecast
- Sunlight memo to Congress: Here's how to do earmark disclosure
- Tebow ad Facebook page draws 160,000 signers and climbing
- Hot Air's Morrissey: Time to demand 'Question Time'
