Another report by Open the Books (OTB) reveals the same thing about how much the government spends each year.
In some federal sectors, government officials are either flat or medium-sized growth. But spending continues to spike much faster than inflation, and the rise in spending since 2021 appears to be aligned with a key prioritization of the Biden administration.
Ministry of Agriculture
According to the OTB, the USDA says it is a perfect example of staff and spending patterns. Since 2000, employees have shrunk from 106,715 to 92,072 in 2024, but annual spending spiked over the same time. In 2000 it was $75.07 billion. By 2024, it had reached $25.478 billion, up 339%.
National Institute of Arts and Humanities
The institutions include the National Fund for the Arts, the National Fund for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museums and Library Services.
Since 2000, personnel have fluctuated between 416 and 455, setting to 455 in 2024. But spending has skyrocketed as expected, especially during the Biden administration. In 2000, Neah spent $406 million a year. By 2024, it had more than doubled $998 million.
Regarding linguistics, the National Fund for Humanities ($227,420) has an episode called “The Little Pronoun” about a new gender-neutral pronoun introduced in Swedish. On American religious life, the Holy & Blood Prof ($199,663 from the National Fund for the Humanities) states, “It has an episode about how Satanists play an important role in American religious and political life.
Veterans
As the US was engaged in multiple campaign wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rank of veteran issues in veteran affairs has naturally increased significantly since 2000. In 2000, there were 219,415 employees. By 2024, there were 486,522 employees. The VA had more than twice the number of employees. However, over the same period, spending increased from $47.04 billion to $3459.8 billion. Annual spending increased by 735.5%.
“Doge needs to look at the bookkeeping and operations of the VA and identify the efficiencies that ensure that veterans are responsible for their liability amid unprecedented use of benefits and medical appointments,” Open the Books said.
