March 5, 2018 Graphic Mandatory spending by the federal government totaled $2.5 trillion in 2017, of which $1.6 trillion was for Social Security and Medicare. View Document79.46 KB Summary Related Publications Discretionary Spending in 2017: An InfographicMarch 5, 2018 Revenues in 2017: An InfographicMarch 5, 2018 The Federal Budget in 2017: An InfographicMarch 5, 2018