Obama Calls For 'Budget Cuts' While Dramatically Increasing Spending

The White House is touting President Obama's call for $17 billion in proposed "budget cuts" included in the details of his $3.5 trillion spending plan set to be unveiled today. But the Administration's intended claim of budgetary savings as a result crumbles under the reality of the overall spending increases that President Obama is proposing. The Administration's budget proposal calls for an eight percent increase in discretionary spending for the fiscal year beginning in October, while the cuts amount to only one half of one percent of the total federal budget.

Most of the president's planned cuts come from defense programs and were previously announced by the Administration, such as scrapping the F-22 fighter. In all, the proposed cuts come from eliminating over 120 government programs, many of which have been on the chopping block before only to be rescued by Congress.

Republicans welcomed the Administration's token effort at budget austerity, but urged greater actions. "While we appreciate the newfound attention to saving taxpayer dollars from this Administration, we respectfully suggested that we should do far more," House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said.

As a candidate, President Obama said that his budgets would result in a "net spending cut." The cuts announced today, and an earlier, widely ridiculed $100 million budget reduction, fall far short of fulfilling that campaign promise. Today's announcement by the Administration seems more focused on generating headlines than any significant savings in the budget. It is an old Washington political trick being employed by President Obama and his economic team. By focusing the media and the public on the relatively minor budget reductions he is proposing, the Administration hopes to deflect attention from the masssive increases in spending contained in the president's plan.

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