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Sen. Max Baucus released county-by-county data today that he says shows Montana could be hurt worse than most states if the U.S. government were allowed to default on its debt.

"There are real and painful consequences for Montana families, businesses, troops, seniors and veterans if we default - that can't happen. This isn't like canceling your credit card to save money, it's like refusing to pay your credit card bill, defaulting on your mortgage, and not buying groceries to feed your family," said Baucus. "There are good ideas out there, on both sides of the aisle, so there's no reason we can't reach an agreement. Let's stop drawing lines in the sand and start reaching hands across the aisle to get this done."

Here are reasons why Baucus' office says Montana could be impacted more than other states:

• Montana has the 2nd highest number of veterans per-capita in the Nation.

• According to the U.S. Census, Montana ranks 8th nationally in federal support per person each year for Social Security and federal retirement, including military retirees and postal workers; and Montana ranks 5th nationally in annual federal support that includes Medicare and agriculture payments.

• Montana ranked 4th in the nation for most federal funding as a percentage of its total state budget, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers 2009.

• According to the Montana Legislative Branch federal funds amounted to 43.5 percent of Montana's general fund in 2010.

The chart below shows the amount of federal dollars at risk for each county in Montana if the debt ceiling is not raised and the U.S. government is forced to default.

Key:

• Social Security and Retirement: Includes Social Security, military retirement, and civilian federal employee retirement systems.

• Medicare and Other Payments: Includes Medicare, crop insurance indemnity payments and premium subsidies, National Flood Insurance loss and adjustor expenses, life insurance programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, payments to state unemployment trust funds, federal education loan interest subsidies, Public Safety Officers' Benefits program and more.

• Grants: Includes all Federal grants of any types including grants for education, infrastructure and more.

• Purchases: Includes direct purchases by the federal government from private companies for, example recent purchases include: S&K Aerospace of St. Ignatius, owned by the Salish & Kootenai Tribe received $7.6 million in contracts with the U.S. Air Force, and Mystery Ranch in Bozeman received $100,000 purchase order from the U.S. Army.

• Military and Federal Worker Wages: Includes all federal civilian employees, active military, National Guard, and Reserves, Coast Guard, and Postal Service.

Federal Spending by County

(In thousands of dollars)
Total
Social Security and Retirement
Medicare and

Other Payments
Grants
Purchases
Military and Federal Worker Wages

Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
$97,623
$40,137
$22,684
$28,360
$901
$5,540

Beaverhead County
$85,050
$30,810
$20,361
$16,208
$1,125
$16,546

Big Horn County
$152,003
$28,012
$32,531
$65,191
$2,580
$23,690

Blaine County
$151,425
$18,212
$83,658
$38,894
$1,000
$9,662

Broadwater County
$38,865
$23,102
$9,226
$3,887
$454
$2,197

Butte-Silver Bow County
$325,124
$127,565
$77,537
$75,327
$21,669
$23,027

Carbon County
$68,132
$34,168
$18,320
$11,166
$852
$3,627

Carter County
$26,211
$3,841
$5,093
$16,028
$251
$997

Cascade County
$945,754
$332,119
$152,226
$181,672
$59,645
$220,092

Chouteau County
$73,194
$17,377
$46,271
$6,026
$1,611
$1,909

Custer County
$108,015
$40,730
$23,855
$25,445
$2,154
$15,830

Daniels County
$118,989
$6,676
$34,869
$1,879
$73,099
$2,466

Dawson County
$80,952
$31,802
$28,111
$16,978
$797
$3,263

Fallon County
$36,420
$8,181
$8,463
$18,552
$561
$664

Fergus County
$136,319
$45,795
$37,720
$32,947
$8,515
$11,341

Flathead County
$578,819
$320,103
$97,846
$88,402
$13,601
$58,867

Gallatin County
$529,024
$183,899
$64,117
$185,449
$43,117
$52,443

Garfield County
$13,099
$3,282
$7,587
$771
$201
$1,258

Glacier County
$180,934
$31,963
$43,173
$76,279
$5,318
$24,201

Golden Valley County
$9,350
$3,858
$4,901
$14
$252
$326

Granite County
$32,357
$11,066
$4,495
$14,144
$694
$1,959

Hill County
$235,875
$54,422
$71,967
$91,933
$4,149
$13,404

Jefferson County
$104,502
$40,096
$9,697
$20,395
$1,193
$33,121

Judith Basin County
$25,032
$8,292
$11,241
$2,431
$1,423
$1,645

Lake County
$288,753
$90,830
$58,037
$89,377
$43,583
$6,927

Lewis and Clark County
$1,339,203
$219,433
$128,789
$808,259
$26,797
$155,924

Liberty County
$35,945
$10,316
$22,917
$1,010
$304
$1,397

Lincoln County
$178,514
$93,995
$27,859
$28,899
$5,915
$21,847

McCone County
$30,455
$4,777
$19,798
$4,733
$249
$898

Madison County
$52,690
$26,071
$10,522
$9,842
$2,656
$3,599

Meagher County
$19,211
$7,392
$4,368
$5,346
$363
$1,742

Mineral County
$53,941
$22,162
$6,091
$20,793
$2,150
$2,744

Missoula County
$788,409
$298,005
$127,764
$204,309
$59,170
$99,160

Musselshell County
$39,843
$21,364
$12,225
$4,885
$283
$1,086

Park County
$103,608
$51,922
$25,640
$19,940
$1,587
$4,520

Petroleum County
$5,117
$1,380
$3,235
$113
$66
$322

Phillips County
$68,580
$15,010
$24,204
$21,981
$661
$6,723

Pondera County
$85,711
$20,888
$31,861
$18,300
$12,168
$2,495

Powder River County
$11,866
$4,745
$3,904
$2,199
$269
$749

Powell County
$48,684
$23,105
$10,206
$10,649
$859
$3,865

Prairie County
$13,907
$5,449
$6,202
$1,630
$95
$532

Ravalli County
$320,398
$167,391
$47,716
$52,608
$18,458
$34,225

Richland County
$96,958
$27,074
$47,409
$14,965
$782
$6,728

Roosevelt County
$220,326
$26,844
$53,774
$126,727
$729
$12,252

Rosebud County
$96,377
$23,875
$18,952
$41,370
$1,028
$11,152

Sanders County
$93,919
$54,308
$17,206
$15,382
$1,785
$5,239

Sheridan County
$66,329
$14,456
$36,578
$9,518
$602
$5,174

Stillwater County
$71,964
$30,194
$14,803
$23,705
$980
$2,281

Sweet Grass County
$26,091
$12,369
$5,346
$6,213
$264
$1,899

Teton County
$63,448
$22,053
$26,740
$10,374
$1,146
$3,135

Toole County
$56,629
$10,313
$30,580
$4,759
$718
$10,259

Treasure County
$6,906
$2,870
$3,152
$208
$132
$544

Valley County
$97,043
$31,672
$40,289
$12,767
$1,950
$10,365

Wheatland County
$26,030
$7,649
$10,649
$6,196
$286
$1,250

Wibaux County
$13,814
$3,587
$5,922
$3,615
$110
$580

Yellowstone County
$1,073,829
$446,360
$200,722
$203,993
$71,372
$151,381

TOTAL
$10,250,202
$3,243,549
$2,459,505
$2,939,607
$508,474
$1,099,067