---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is very difficult to spend \"federal…"
description: "\"It is very difficult to spend \"federal (the taxpayers') dollars\" so that the intended result is achieved.\" — Donald Rumsfeld"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-th_254091.png"
---

#  It is very difficult to spend "federal (the taxpayers')…

![“It is very difficult to spend &quot;federal (the taxpayers') dollars&quot; so that the intended result is achieved.” quote by Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-th_254091.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-th_254091.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-th_254091.png)

> “It is very difficult to spend "federal (the taxpayers') dollars" so that the intended result is achieved.”

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Spending public money is challenging because achieving intended outcomes is difficult.

**In simple terms:** Government spending often fails to meet goals.

Key Takeaway

Plan and monitor spending carefully.

Themes

government budgeting efficiency

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political policy

When to use this quote

- infrastructure projects
- social programs
- defense contracts
- taxpayer accountability

Key Concepts

public finance policy implementation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can accountability be improved?
- What metrics ensure success?

A Different Perspective

Complex bureaucracy can hinder results.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Taxpayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxpayers/)

## Related quotes

> [To stabilize the nation's public-employee pension systems and to prevent federal taxpayers from being billed for failed pension funds, I have introduced the Public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-nunes/to-stabilize-the-nation-s-public-employee-pension-systems-and-to/)

[Devin Nunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-nunes/)

> [ Refinancing won't fix everything that's broken with our \[American\] higher education system. We've got to bring down the cost of college. And we need… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/refinancing-won-t-fix-everything-that-s-broken-with-our-american/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [To stabilize the nations public-employee pension systems and to prevent federal taxpayers from being billed for failed pension funds, I have introduced the Public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-nunes/to-stabilize-the-nations-public-employee-pension-systems-and-to/)

[Devin Nunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-nunes/)

> [To acquire wealth is difficult, to preserve it is more difficult, but to spend it wisely, most difficult of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-edward-day/to-acquire-wealth-is-difficult-to-preserve-it-is-more-difficult-but/)

J. Edward Day

> [I find it is increasingly difficult to spend the time I need with my family and at the same time do the job that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-baird/i-find-it-is-increasingly-difficult-to-spend-the-time-i-need-with-my/)

[Brian Baird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-baird/)

> [When it comes to reconstruction, before we turn to the American taxpayer, we will turn first to the resources of the Iraqi government and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/when-it-comes-to-reconstruction-before-we-turn-to-the-american/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [As costs mount, in lives and dollars, it is natural to second guess, but one lesson I hope we have learned is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-spratt/as-costs-mount-in-lives-and-dollars-it-is-natural-to-second-guess-but/)

[John Spratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-spratt/)

> [It's all about the fungibility and money. If Planned Parenthood accesses hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money and they use that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/it-s-all-about-the-fungibility-and-money-if-planned-parenthood/)

[Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/)

> [The federal government... announced a plan to spend, like, a trillion of taxpayer dollars to buy out bad mortgages and debt. Wall Street was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-federal-government-announced-a-plan-to-spend-like-a-trillion-of/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [When we're talking about a trillion dollars of taxpayer money, "trust me" just isn't good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/when-we-re-talking-about-a-trillion-dollars-of-taxpayer-money-trust/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [ \[M\]y conception of liberty does not permit an individual citizen or a group of citizens to commit acts of depredation against nature in such… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/m-y-conception-of-liberty-does-not-permit-an-individual-citizen-or-a/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [People are tired of wasteful government programs and welfare chiselers, and they are angry about the constant spiral of taxes and government regulations, arrogant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/people-are-tired-of-wasteful-government-programs-and-welfare/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [This welfare for wealthy companies wastes taxpayer dollars, harms the environment, and makes a mockery of the recent reductions in federal social spending programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/this-welfare-for-wealthy-companies-wastes-taxpayer-dollars-harms-the/)

[Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/)

> [Taxpayers would likely be responsible for treating addicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/taxpayers-would-likely-be-responsible-for-treating-addicts/)

[John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/)

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

## More by Donald Rumsfeld

> [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-believe-anyone-that-i-know-in-the-administration-ever-said/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [I don't think we'll discover anything, myself. I think what will happen is we'll discover people who will tell us where to go find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-think-we-ll-discover-anything-myself-i-think-what-will-happen/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/members-of-the-u-s-house-and-the-u-s-senate-are-not-there-by-accident/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-federal-government-should-be-the-last-resort-not-the-first-ask-if/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-price-of-being-close-to-the-president-is-delivering-bad-news-you/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-speak-ill-of-your-predecessors-or-successors-you-didn-t-walk-in/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/if-you-can-t-solve-a-problem-make-it-bigger/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/enjoy-your-time-in-public-service-it-may-well-be-one-of-the-most/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [There will be good moments, and there will be less good moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-will-be-good-moments-and-there-will-be-less-good-moments/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [From where you sit, the White House may look as untidy as the inside of a stomach. As is said of the legislative process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/from-where-you-sit-the-white-house-may-look-as-untidy-as-the-inside/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/you-will-launch-many-projects-but-have-time-to-finish-only-a-few-so/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [What is the value of having millions of people in Iraq not having a repressive regime? What is the value of having the Iraqi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/what-is-the-value-of-having-millions-of-people-in-iraq-not-having-a/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-be-a-bottleneck-if-a-matter-is-not-a-decision-for-the-president/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [When you're skiing, if you're not falling you're not trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/when-you-re-skiing-if-you-re-not-falling-you-re-not-trying/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

[Explore all 234 Donald Rumsfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

## More Difficult quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/)

[Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/)

> [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/)

[Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/)

> [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/)

[Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/)

[Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/)

[Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/)

[Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/)

Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It is very difficult to spend \"federal (the taxpayers') dollars\" so that the intended result is achieved.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Donald Rumsfeld"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-the-taxpayers-dollars-so-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Difficult"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-the-taxpayers-dollars-so-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-th_254091.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-th_254091.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/donald-rumsfeld-1507_difficult_it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-th_254091.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is very difficult to spend \"federal (the taxpayers') dollars\" so that the intended result is achieved.” — Donald Rumsfeld",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Donald Rumsfeld",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It is very difficult to spend...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-the-taxpayers-dollars-so-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/it-is-very-difficult-to-spend-federal-the-taxpayers-dollars-so-that/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
