Mandatory spending

Okay kiddo, let me explain mandatory spending to you in a way you can understand.

Mandatory spending is like when your parents set aside some of their money every month to pay for bills that they have to pay no matter what. For example, they might have to pay for the mortgage on the house or the car payment. These are things that they have to pay no matter how much money they have at the end of the month.

In the same way, the government has to pay for certain things every year, no matter what. These things are called mandatory spending. Some examples of mandatory spending are things like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. These programs help people who are retired, disabled, or need medical care, and the government is required to pay for them.

Another example of mandatory spending is interest on the national debt. This is like when your parents have to pay interest on their credit card or car loan. The government has borrowed a lot of money over the years, and they have to pay interest on that debt every year.

So, mandatory spending is like bills that the government has to pay every year, no matter how much money they have. It's important for the government to keep track of their mandatory spending so that they can make sure they have enough money to pay for everything they need to.