Total federal and state spending on welfare programs was $434 billion in FY 2000. Of that total,
$313 billion (72 percent) came from federal funding and $121 billion (28 percent) came from state or local funds. (See Chart 1.)
Welfare spending is so large it is difficult to comprehend. On average, the annual cost of the welfare system
amounts to around $5,600 in taxes from each household that paid federal income tax in 2000. Adjusting for inflation, the amount taxpayers now spend on welfare each year is greater than the value of the entire U.S. Gross National Product at the beginning of the 20th century.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/welfare/Test080101.cfm