Obama Administration Releases Budget Cuts

(CBS/iStockPhoto)

Not quite "A Day Late and A Dollar Short," the Obama administration released its promised 100 million in budget cuts Monday, a week past its original 90-day deadline.

President Obama asked for the cuts on April 20th, when he challenged his Cabinet to find ways to trim the budget.

While a week behind, the Cabinet did find more money to cut, or save, as it were: $243 million through 2010 and even more in years after that.

Even the president himself acknowledged that $100 million is a drop in the taxpayer bucket. But he said that every cent counts.

"One hundred million here one hundred million there pretty soon even in Washington it adds up to real money," he told reporters at the end of his first Cabinet meeting in April, where he asked each department head to search his or her budget for cuts.

Here are a few examples the White House has cited as success:

The Defense department plans to save $52 million in FY 2010 by replacing the standard jet fuel used by the military with commercial jet fuel plus the military additives.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to digitize its daily news clips - saving $1,000 per year for FY 2009-10.

The Department of Agriculture's U.S. Forest Service expects to save $1.8 million in FY 2009 by ceasing to re-paint newly purchased vehicles.

The Department of Justice will save an estimated $4 million in FY 2010 by requiring personnel to make their travel arrangements online, rather than relying on travel agents.

The Department of Education will require all D.C.-based conferences with attendance of 250 people or less to take place in one of the Department's two buildings - saving upwards of $65,000 a year.

This cost cutting will not come close to paying for the trillion-dollar health care plan or have a serious impact on the trillion-dollar plus deficit, but as Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag writes, "These savings reflect the President's belief that even small savings can add up."

Robert Hendin is a CBS News White House producer.

[BubbaRight]

Wow, that $243M in savings amounts to .0003 of the $787B pork-stimulas spending bill that was filled with "shovel ready" projects. I feel better now.

[endurorob]

They could probably save double that if Obama would quit flying around the country campaigning.

[wmsshields]

It is embarassing that these puny numbers could be considered any kind of success from the thieves-in-charge. Trillions in new spending and a thou a year from a highway administration? While we continue to fund programs to study bovine flatulence! I do hope the sheep who voted for BoBo are paying attention.

[kvaldemar-2009]

I don't think you got the memo that blaming our government for our problem isn't the cool thing to do anymore. I don't recall any cost cutting measures like these being undertaken in the past 8 years. Looks like Obama is shaping up to continue the trend of the past 28 years. the democrats are fiscally conservative and the republicans spend money hand over fist to wage wars of choice and pad the pockets of the rich. Don't worry shields, i voted for Obama, and I am glad to see he giving us signs of hope... for those of us who allow ourselves to see it.

[ALLLFORALLL]

Go Mr President You Have To Start Somewhere!

[ALLLFORALLL]

Go Mr President You Have To Start Somewhere!