Ask a real person any government-related question for free. What the heck are they buying at the last minute? Some mandatory spending, such as Congressional salaries, is not part of any entitlement program. A majority of the federal government’s public opinion research has lately been re-directed at the COVID-19 pandemic, for example. The group's annual "Use-It-Or-Lose-It Spending Spree" report is a must-read for every taxpayer who wonders if the federal government is justified in taxing us as much as it does.