Bush and Republican Congress: No Fiscal Conservatives

Growth in federal spending unchecked
Updated 4/3/2006 7:51 AM
By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Federal spending is outstripping economic growth at a rate unseen in more than half a century, provoking some conservatives to complain that government under Republican control has gotten too big.

The federal government is currently spending 20.8 cents of every $1 the economy generates, up from 18.5 cents in 2001, White House budget documents show. That's the most rapid growth during one administration since Franklin Roosevelt.

There are no signs that the trend is about to turn around. The House Budget Committee last week rejected a proposal that would require spending hikes to be offset by cuts in other spending or by tax increases.

For more, go here.

RELATED: How federal spending has climbed since 2001.