Of the three network morning shows, only ABC highlighted a new study by the Heritage
Foundation [1] that reported how the federal government's massive spending will
average almost $34,000 per household in 2009, up $8000 from last year. On
Monday, Good Morning America news anchor Chris Cuomo also appeared amazed at
wasteful, bureaucratic errors: "Seventy two billion dollars spent by our government to the wrong
people in either double payments or mispayments."
He marveled, "Can you believe that? It's true." NBC's Today and CBS's Early
Show have, thus far, not reported on the Heritage study. The report explained,
"The 2009 version of 'Federal Spending by the Numbers' shows spending and
deficits surging at a pace not seen since World War II."
The study, by Brian M. Riedl, also predicted:
Washington will spend $33,932 per household in 2009-$8,000 per household more than last year. While much of this spending is a temporary result of the recession and financial crisis, President Obama's 2010 budget would replace this temporary spending with permanent new programs. Consequently, by 2019-a time of assumed peace and prosperity-Washington would still spend $33,000 per household (adjusted for inflation), essentially making permanent this year's $8,000 per household spending hike. These numbers do not even include the cost of the President's health plan."
The entire report can be found here [2].
A transcript of the August 3 news brief, which aired at 8:03am, follows:
CUOMO: And now, we keep hearing all these billions of dollars. How, where is it going? It's so hard to digest. But, a new report breaks it into numbers that are a little easier to understand. [Onscreen graphic: Source: Heritage Foundation.] Look at it this way: It finds that federal spending will average nearly $34, 000 per household this year. That's up $8,000 since just last year. And it may go up even more as lawmakers look to extend unemployment benefits. Here's a good one, also: Seventy two billion dollars spent by our government to the wrong people in either double payments or mispayments. Can you believe that? It's true.
-Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.