Demanding a federal budget that is fair, responsible, and meets our nation's priorities

Monday, October 22, 2007

Picking and Choosing

According this Statement of Administration Policy the Bush wants to veto Labor-H because its funding level is about $9 billion more than the president's FY 2008 budget request. But a reading of the SAP betrays his cafeteria-style "fiscal responsibility".

Look at all the programs for which he wants to increase funding:

• The Administration is very concerned about the $229 million reduction in the Reading First program.
• the Senate is urged to provide $25 million requested for the Adjunct Teacher Corps
• [The Administration] is disappointed that the bill provides $64 million less than the President's request [for the Striving Readers program].
• The Administration urges the Senate to fully fund the $300 million requested in the President's Budget [the Promise and Opportunity Scholarships program].
• The bill does not provide requested funding for the Secretary's Adolescent Health Promotion initiative.
• The Administration is concerned that the bill reduces [the Compassion Capital Fund] by 17 percent from FY 2007.
• The Administration strongly opposes the 26 percent funding cut proposed by the Committee [for the Abstinence Education program].
• The bill provides $25 million less than the $150 million requested for Community Based Job Training Grants and funds this program within the Dislocated Worker National Reserve.
• The bill provides only one-third of the requested funding for [the Reintegration of Ex-offenders program].
• The Administration opposes the 20 percent reduction for the Office of Labor-Management Standards [for the Union Financial Integrity program].

One can quibble over the merits of the funding requests (I certainly would), but it's clear the president is only concerned about over-spending when it isn't on his pet programs. Bush can hardly be accused of slavish devotion to "fiscal restraint".