The May 29, 1908 NYT reports that Congress, for only the second time in the country's history, has appropriated more than $1 billion (the first time was in 1865).

The first paragraph says a lot:

When Congress packs its carpet bag this week and goes home, it will have established a record for expenditures never reached before in the United States in times of peace.

The same can be said of our current congress.

The article suggests that $1,007,086,569 will have been appropriated by the Congress (plus a little more perhaps). EH.net indicates that total GDP in 1908 was about $30.1 billion (in current dollars). Hence, Congress appropriated about 3% of total GDP. Today, it is closer to 20%.

In 1908, the U.S. Congress appropriated about $11.27 per capita, whereas today it is approximately $6,000 per capita.

In 1908, the U.S. Congress appropriated $391,474,342 for the U.S. Army and Navy (about 40% of the budget and about 1.3% of GDP) whereas today the U.S. government spends less than 5% of GDP and 20-25% of federal spending on the military (five branches rather than two).

The article does provide the totals by appropriation bill (where is such information today?):

Urgent deficiency $24,11,805

Indian 8,748,687

Legislative 32,833,821

Army 95,382,247

Post Office 224,065,142

Pensions 163,053,000

Fortifications 9,570,745

Agriculture 11,672,106

District of Columbia 10,117,669

Diplomatic 3,947,539

Naval 122,662,716

Sundry Civil 112,937,314

Military Academy 845,634

General deficiency 30,782,848

Permanent annual 154,194,296

Additional urgent 2,163,500