News Release
Chairman Spratt Statement on Obama Budget Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2009
WASHINGTON – Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-SC) released the following statement today after the release of additional budget materials by the Obama Administration. In February, the Administration issued top-line funding levels for agencies and cost estimates for its tax and mandatory spending proposals. Today the Administration released its detailed, account-by-account Budget Appendix, as well as a list of proposed program terminations and major reductions. On Monday, it will release the remaining volumes of its budget request.
“Today the Obama Administration released the details of its budget request for fiscal year 2010. As part of the effort to reduce the deficit, the President pledged that his Administration would go through every line of the budget to assess which programs it thinks are effective and which are not. Today’s budget materials reflect the early results of that evaluation. They include a list and description of 121 programs that the Administration proposes to eliminate or reduce, for an estimated savings of $17 billion for fiscal year 2010. While the Congress is unlikely to agree with all the changes proposed by the Administration, the process and the resulting proposals are a step in the right direction, and a sign of fiscal discipline.”
“In the coming weeks Congress will consider the President’s detailed account-by-account funding proposals as it begins the process of debating and passing appropriations bills to fund the government for 2010. In addition, Speaker Pelosi has asked each House Committee Chairman to develop by June 2 a list of initiatives in the Committee’s jurisdiction ‘aimed at reducing costs, ending duplication, and promoting efficiency in order to cut the costs of government as aggressively as possible.’ Building on the budget we passed last week, the results of this process will also play a role in our efforts to rein in spending and reduce the deficit.”
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