March 5, 2018 Graphic Discretionary spending by the federal government totaled $1.2 trillion in 2017—about half for national defense and half for nondefense activities. View Document75.89 KB Summary Related Publications Mandatory Spending in 2017: An InfographicMarch 5, 2018 Revenues in 2017: An InfographicMarch 5, 2018 The Federal Budget in 2017: An InfographicMarch 5, 2018