That’s How Much Money the Federal Government Spent in the
90 Seconds it Took You to Read This Media Release

Washington, D.C.—SpendingRevolt.com, a new coalition of taxpayers, families, business owners, and policy organizations, is launching a national advocacy campaign to raise citizen awareness about how the mounting federal spending crisis is jeopardizing America’s future.  The campaign website features educational tools and an interactive government spending calculator to help citizens understand the magnitude of Washington’s historic spending binge and how it relates to their lives.

The spending calculator computes how much money the government has spent during an online user’s visit to the website, and it estimates the amount of government expenditures that take place during common daily activities:

• $98,000 is spent by the Federal Government every second.
• $8.8 million will be spent by the Federal Government in the 90 seconds it takes you to read this media release.
• $47 million is spent by Washington during the 3–4 minutes it takes most Americans to brush their teeth,
  twice per day.
• $58 million is spent by the Federal Government during the 10 minutes it takes the average American to take a shower.
• $955 million is spent by Washington during the 162 minutes that most Americans spend watching television each day.

The Spending Revolt coalition, which is composed of organizations such as Americans for Prosperity, The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), Concerned Women for America, and the 60 Plus Association, demonstrates how the federal government’s escalating spending spree is rapidly bankrupting American taxpayers.  The national debt just ballooned to more than $13 trillion, and America’s debt is now projected to surpass GDP by 2012—placing the U.S. closer to the crushing debt load that has engulfed Greece.

The coalition is promoting a Spending Revolt Pledge that urges the American people to support fiscally responsible leaders who limit Federal Government spending to the average rate of the 1980s and 1990s, approximately 20 percent of GDP.

“America faces a severe spending crisis that is rapidly bankrupting our nation,” read a coalition statement. “Washington is failing in its responsibility to safeguard the people’s resources.  We cannot afford to recklessly spend far beyond our means, and we have once again learned the hard way that no nation can spend its way to prosperity.  The Federal Government’s uncontrolled spending and unwillingness to live within a budget is undermining our economic security.”

“Current spending levels are unsustainable, irresponsible, and negligent,” the statement continued. “We need real and permanent spending reform in Washington.  By returning to the average rate of federal spending we sustained throughout the 1980s and 1990s, which was approximately 20 percent of GDP, we can place our fiscal house in order, balance the budget in three years, and most importantly—ensure a financially sound future for all Americans.”

SpendingRevolt.com is a broad coalition of taxpayers, families, women, business owners, and policy organizations committed to real and permanent spending reform in Washington.  Visit online at www.SpendingRevolt.com

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Stephen Manfredi at (202) 222-8028 or smanfredi@ManfrediStrategyGroup.com