Welcome to the Era of Ever-Increasing Deficits | U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Outlays rise from 20.7% in 2015 to 23.1% in 2026, well above historical averages. Among the three components of government outlays, net interest and mandatory spending account for most of this increase. Discretionary spending only rises from $1.2 trillion to $1.4 trillion over the forecast horizon. As a share of GDP discretionary spending is projected to decline from 6.5% in 2015 to only 5.0% in 2026.