Pete Domenici: “This chart shows the various entitlement spendings. It is over 55 percent of all Federal spending today. Three-quarters…”

“This chart shows the various entitlement spendings. It is over 55 percent of all Federal spending today. Three-quarters of it is just three programs: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Let's move on to the Growth in Entitlements and Mandatories. Many of us are of the impression that it is the entitlement programs that are out of control. I admit, looking at this chart, one would see where it wasn't too long ago when they were out of control. Let's take 1970-75. The growth was 18.5 percent nominal growth. In 1980-85, it was 9, and in 1985-90, it was 6.9. In 1990-95, it was 5.5. Here we are in 1995-2000, in entitlement programs, 4.5 percent nominal and, without inflation, the growth was 2.6 percent. If we can continue growth in this manner, which is principally predicated upon controlling the costs of health care, which the Government pays for partially or totally, we can keep our government under control and the costs can continue to come down. National defense is something we ought to be concerned about because we have thrown some numbers around and some percentages. The facts are before us, and they don't look too good. The truth is, since the 1985-90 era, everything since that time has been no growth in defense rather than growth.”