Welfare spending jumps 32% during Obama's presidency

``Federal spending on more than 80 low-income assistance programs reached $746 billion in 2011, and state spending on those programs brought the total to $1.03 trillion, according to figures from the Congressional Research Service and the Senate Budget Committee. That makes welfare the single biggest chunk of federal spending -- topping Social Security and basic defense spending.'' -- This is what the economic depression has wrought. We sympathize with the federal government; it has little option but to do this to prevent mass chaos (short of completely reforming the economy, which they won't do because of regime self-preservation...)