Washington, DC - Congressman Bill Keating issued the following response to President Obama's proposed budget for FY2012, which was announced today.

Despite facing escalating costs in many areas, the proposed budget comes in at less than last year’s, and sets the goal of cutting the deficit by $1 trillion within the next decade.  This budget clearly demonstrates the President’s commitment to bringing down our deficit.

To do that, we need to make tough choices.  But we also need to make smart ones.   Since many of the programs on the chopping block provide real services to real people, their cut will result in a real loss.  There should not be a disconnect between talking about cutting our budget and what those cuts actually mean.  This is not an abstract numbers conversation. 

For example, the ability to heat one’s home is a basic human need.  With a winter like the Northeast is currently experiencing, a 50% cut in assistance for home heating oil does not seem like a smart choice.  It affects the Northeast’s senior population and others who cannot afford the costs disproportioning. 

The President did, however, also look to alleviate burdens currently experienced by certain populations, such as including a one-time $250 payment to Social Security recipients who have no received a COLA in two years.

All, in all, the President seems to be carefully balancing the tightrope most economists are expressing concern about:  making smart cuts while also creating necessary jobs.

The President’s budget for FY2012 precedes the debate this week on legislation to fund the government for the remainder of FY2011.