Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security spending are all within the discretion of congress to change or eliminate; the only difference between "discretionary" a

Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security spending are all within the discretion of congress to change or eliminate; the only difference between "discretionary" and "non-discretionary" is that the latter do not require annual appropriations. The "discretionary" v. "non-discretionary" divide is a fiction created for the convenience of the congress.