Let's get back to basics. According to Article I of the COnstitution, the following are the powers of Congress, and since Congress is the only entity that is allowed to spend money, you might say these are the powers of the Federal Government:
"To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States,..."
And that's it, folks. Nothing else. Do you see anything about EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, SAVING THE PLANET, a compulsory national retirement system? Look as closely as you want; they aren't in there. And according to the Tenth Amendment, if it ain't in there, it is reserved to the States and/or the People.
The bolded words above are the justification for at least 40% of all Federal discretionary spending. "To regulate Commerce...among the several States." But regardless, the is NO constitutional basis for the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the EPA, NPR, or most of the other programs that Democrats use to try to buy your vote. Social Security and Medicare were created using the fiction of "trust funds," which is why they are funded by "payroll taxes" and not income taxes. Without those trust funds both of those American institutions would fail as being unconstitutional. The same principle WILL APPLY to socialized medicine if the Democrats get their way. It will have to be funded by yet another Payroll Tax, probably 10% or more on top of FIT, SS and Medicare taxes that we already pay.
You want to cut Federal spending? Go back to the Constitution and eliminate everything that doesn't pass muster. Immediate balanced budget, with money left over for the next Defense boondoggle weapons system.
Which would be Constitutional, if anyone cares.