The President's Budget: Bush to Obama
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Common Dreams
National Priorities Project
12/17/2010
NORTHHAMPTION, Mass. - May 18 - National Priorities Project (NPP) has released a comprehensive federal budget tool which spans fiscal years 2008 to 2010, offering a comparison of the Bush and Obama budgets, while highlighting economic stimulus spending in 2009. This tool offers both national and state-level numbers, with a focus on energy, education, healthcare and military. It examines both the quantity and quality of federal spending. Key findings include: Even modest increases in spending at the national level, such as a four percent increase in Environment, Energy and Science from 2008 to 2010 can have a major impact at the state level. For example, Florida will see an increase in funding for weatherization assistance from $2 million in 2008 to $89.7 million in 2010 (in constant dollars). Education spending is down in 2010 relative to fiscal year 2008 primarily because subsidies to higher education lenders have been eliminated. Yet students will receive more financial aid because education spending will shift to direct loans. States will see a jump in funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. For example, Massachusetts received $74.5 million in 2008 and is proposed to receive $321.1 million in 2010. Though military spending growth has slowed it claims twenty percent of discretionary and mandatory spending. "In the FY2010 budget, President Obama offers us a meaningful and positive step toward new national priorities. It is up to all of us to engage with his administration and our federal and state elected officials so that our voices are part of the national debate at such a crtical – yet promising – time for our nation," notes Jo Comerford, NPP Executive Director.
