President Cheers New Budget, Republicans Not So Sure

WASHINGTON -President Barack Obama says his new $3.83 trillion budget is filled with “investments we must make” to boost employment and solidify the economy.

The plan would boost this year’s federal deficit to a record-breaking $1.56 trillion – a level of debt that Obama blamed on the decisions of President George W. Bush, previous Congresses and his administration’s steps to prevent an economic collapse.

Obama said in normal circumstances he would have worked to pay down the yearly deficit immediately, but costly steps were need to help an economy in free fall. He asked lawmakers to follow his lead on reducing waste and avoid “grandstanding.” His budget plan aims to attack 10 percent joblessness with increased spending in areas such as education.

Facing election, this year, Palm Springs Representative Mary Bono Mack released a statement about the budget.

She says, “Despite recent calls for fiscal responsibility, the Administration’s budget proposal represents more of the same – reckless spending that piles on more debt and more taxes on every day Americans…

“I appreciate the President’s proposal for a spending freeze as an important first step, yet as we see the potential savings being consumed by special interests and exceptions, it is clear that Washington needs to do better to get its fiscal house in order. Americans across the country understand that you need to do more than talk about fiscal responsibility to actually live within a budget – Washington needs to learn its lesson and do the same.”