Obama's spending freeze: Prudence or posturing?
source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/26/spending.freeze.reaction/
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(CNN) -- President Obama's proposed spending freeze could help him recapture the favor of centrist voters, but critics blast the move as nothing more than political posturing.
The president is expected to call for a partial, three-year freeze on discretionary spending in his State of the Union address Wednesday, according to two senior administration officials. The cuts, which Obama will say would save $250 billion, would not apply to national security spending and would not affect major entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.
The proposal comes as the president's poll numbers dip and concerns about the economy and the federal deficit flare.
It also comes after a shocking election loss for Democrats in Massachusetts, which many have interpreted as an expression of voter frustration with the way Washington is handling the economy.
"I applaud [Obama] for attempting to have some fiscal restraint," Republican strategist Ed Rollins said. "But at the end of the day, he's got to make sure the Democrats are disciplined and they don't have big spending programs alongside of this."
Under Obama's plan, all federal discretionary spending would be frozen at its current level of $447 billion per year. Individual federal agencies would have the power to give some programs increases, while cutting money elsewhere.
Both chambers of Congress would have to approve the freeze when they take up the president's budget for fiscal year 2011, which starts in October. Obama will send his budget plan to Congress after the State of the Union.
(read more at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/26/spending.freeze.reaction/)
The president is expected to call for a partial, three-year freeze on discretionary spending in his State of the Union address Wednesday, according to two senior administration officials. The cuts, which Obama will say would save $250 billion, would not apply to national security spending and would not affect major entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.
The proposal comes as the president's poll numbers dip and concerns about the economy and the federal deficit flare.
It also comes after a shocking election loss for Democrats in Massachusetts, which many have interpreted as an expression of voter frustration with the way Washington is handling the economy.
"I applaud [Obama] for attempting to have some fiscal restraint," Republican strategist Ed Rollins said. "But at the end of the day, he's got to make sure the Democrats are disciplined and they don't have big spending programs alongside of this."
Under Obama's plan, all federal discretionary spending would be frozen at its current level of $447 billion per year. Individual federal agencies would have the power to give some programs increases, while cutting money elsewhere.
Both chambers of Congress would have to approve the freeze when they take up the president's budget for fiscal year 2011, which starts in October. Obama will send his budget plan to Congress after the State of the Union.
(read more at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/26/spending.freeze.reaction/)
