Bush tries to balance the country's chequebook

[ChristinaM 0]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Monday proposed a $2.77 trillion fiscal 2007 budget that cuts domestic programs from community policing to Medicare while bolstering security spending as he seeks to tame a soaring deficit.

Facing election-year pressure from conservative Republicans to get tougher on spending, Bush asked the U.S. Congress to virtually freeze discretionary programs outside national security.

Bush proposed a record $439.3 billion defense budget for 2007 aimed at fighting unconventional terrorism and any major international conflict. But this total does not include an extra $50 billion the administration will seek in added funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in fiscal 2007.

The administration is also seeking another $70 billion for the current fiscal 2006 for the two wars.

At the same time, Bush renewed his call for making his tax cuts permanent even as his blueprint projected a surge in the budget deficit to $423 billion this year, up more than $100 billion from fiscal 2005.

Even with growing discontent among fiscal conservatives over deficits, lawmakers are usually squeamish about cutting programs in election years and Bush will face a tough sell getting approval for his wish list of reductions.

Nine of the 15 Cabinet agencies would see cuts in the 2007 fiscal year that begins October 1, including justice, transportation and education. Among the places where he would aim the budget knife are community policing, a program to combat violence against women and vocational education.

Bush proposed to scale back or abolish 141 programs on the discretionary side of the budget.

Bush proposed to squeeze $65 billion in savings over five years from mandatory programs, including Medicare, the nation's health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, farm supports and pension and other labor-related programs.

That man disgusts me.

[Sister Fracas 5]

Midterm elections people, midterm elections....

[pedroh 21]

ahh yes.. taking money out of the education budget... and just a few days ago he said on tv he was gonna propose new education plans on math and science.. with what?? good will? where's the dinero for those programs..

why have education if you can buy weapons.. America, gun guts and God..

[I'm Gone 60]

ahh yes.. taking money out of the education budget... and just a few days ago he said on tv he was gonna propose new education plans on math and science.. with what?? good will? where's the dinero for those programs..

why have education if you can buy weapons.. America, gun guts and God..

There should be no U.S. Department of Education. Education is a state and local govenment function. People in the U.S. were being educated just fine before the Federal government stuck their nose in things.

[Fischkoepfin 1]

Right. The country's increasingly in debt and defense spending is up. Guess it's time to make the tax cuts permanent...

ahh yes.. taking money out of the education budget... and just a few days ago he said on tv he was gonna propose new education plans on math and science.. with what?? good will? where's the dinero for those programs..

why have education if you can buy weapons.. America, gun guts and God..

There should be no U.S. Department of Education. Education is a state and local govenment function. People in the U.S. were being educated just fine before the Federal government stuck their nose in things.

When was that?

[pedroh 21]

mdyoung.. but what if a state teaches something that another state doesn't.. so let's say. if a studen from NC wasnt taught calculus in high school, but a student from NY did have that subject.. and they apply for the same college which requires calculus as a pre-requisite, how would u fix that? I agree that states should have like a common basis of subjects and things to teach. but i think if you let the state have total control of education.. it'll be worst than kansas still teaching creationism..

[almaty 19]

bush is extending the tax breaks to business...and cutting medicare..chopf##k

[I'm Gone 60]

mdyoung.. but what if a state teaches something that another state doesn't.. so let's say. if a studen from NC wasnt taught calculus in high school, but a student from NY did have that subject.. and they apply for the same college which requires calculus as a pre-requisite, how would u fix that? I agree that states should have like a common basis of subjects and things to teach. but i think if you let the state have total control of education.. it'll be worst than kansas still teaching creationism..

Amendment X of the Bill of Rights

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

[Fischkoepfin 1]

When did the federal government begin funding education and for what reasons?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

mdyoung.. but what if a state teaches something that another state doesn't.. so let's say. if a studen from NC wasnt taught calculus in high school, but a student from NY did have that subject.. and they apply for the same college which requires calculus as a pre-requisite, how would u fix that? I agree that states should have like a common basis of subjects and things to teach. but i think if you let the state have total control of education.. it'll be worst than kansas still teaching creationism..

Good points.

I think what we have with this argument is a real disconnect between the America of the 1700s and 1800s and the America of today. This country is a whole lot more integrated today than it was then. A lot of the 'states rights' arguments just don't make sense any more.

We need one educational system and one authority to issue drivers licenses... JMHO.

[Mand 1]

I'm relatively new to this country and so am still learning it's ways. But in regards to education, I do believe there has to be a continuity throughout the various curriculums/curricula and syllabi. If there is not, I think there is a higher chance for inequality of educational experiences.

I also believe 100% that if a country does not invest sufficiently in the education of it's children, they are setting themselves up for a tough future. Cutting spending on education tells me that Bush really doesn't consider the future of this county as an important issue, which I find kind of alarming. Anyways, back to the topic in hand!

[I'm Gone 60]

When did the federal government begin funding education and for what reasons?

1946

The Cabinet-level Department of Health, Education and Welfare was created under President Eisenhower, officially coming into existence April 11, 1953. In 1979, the Department of Education Organization Act was signed into law, providing for a separate Department of Education. HEW became the Department of Health and Human Services, officially arriving on May 4, 1980.

http://www.hhs.gov/about/hhshist.html

[tsunamihart 0]

ahh yes.. taking money out of the education budget... and just a few days ago he said on tv he was gonna propose new education plans on math and science.. with what?? good will? where's the dinero for those programs..

why have education if you can buy weapons.. America, gun guts and God..

There should be no U.S. Department of Education. Education is a state and local govenment function. People in the U.S. were being educated just fine before the Federal government stuck their nose in things.

If the government doesn't start doing more for Education then we could have as good an educational system as say Haiti... ur uh NO@!!@!@#### Have you seen the kind of trouble the states are in now with Education, The STATES!?! What does brother dean say? Chopf###K? of course that's just my humble opinion, I'd rather my children not aspire (or expire) to work for McDonalds...

[I'm Gone 60]

If the government doesn't start doing more for Education then we could have as good an educational system as say Haiti... ur uh NO@!!@!@#### Have you seen the kind of trouble the states are in now with Education, The STATES!?! What does brother dean say? Chopf###K? of course that's just my humble opinion, I'd rather my children not aspire (or expire) to work for McDonalds...

Yes, before 1953 and the Federal goverment came along and saved everyone, U.S. citizens were all just uneducated idiots and my haven't things improved since then.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Cutting spending on education tells me that Bush really doesn't consider the future of this county as an important issue, which I find kind of alarming.

His burdening the future generations with today's windfall giveaways to corporate America doesn't do much for the future of this country either. But then, thanks to the Bushies, our kids are going to be uneducated morons that wouldn't know what to with money anyways...