GOP Reveals Plan for Deep Cuts to EPA, Job Training and More
Republicans unveiled a budget plan today for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year that would give billions less than President Obama would have liked to programs like the Environmental Protection Agency, federal job training, high speed rail development and more.
GOP leaders in the House Appropriations Committee released a partial list of 70 spending cuts that will be included in an upcoming
Continuing Resolution bill. The legislation is needed to fund the federal government for the seven months remaining in the fiscal year -- and prevent a government wide shut-down -- since the Democratic-led Congress failed to pass a budget last year. Congress in December passed a stopgap funding bill to keep the government operating through March 4.
The list fleshes out the Republican plan, which they say will cut more than $74 billion from the budget and thus help the GOP meet their "Pledge to America" promise to cut close to $100 billion from the federal budget this year alone. However, as the Hotsheet reported last week, the cuts fall far short of that goal if measured against current spending.
The plan would save more than $74 billion compared to Mr. Obama's 2011 budget request, which was never enacted. Compared to actual spending, the cuts save $32 billion. The appropriations committee yesterday voted on the overall target of reducing this year's spending by between $32 and $33 billion, CBS News Senior Political Producer Jill Jackson reports.
When House Republicans reveal the full continuing resolution bill, it will show how the actual cuts measure up to current spending.
Nevertheless, today's new list shows which programs Republicans plan to slash.
The list shows Republicans would give $2 billion less to jobs training programs than Mr. Obama would, as well as $1.3 billion less to community health centers.
Climate change and energy reform initiatives are a clear target: The proposal would give $1.6 billion less to the EPA and $1.4 billion less to the Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee Authority, which enables the Energy Department to work with private companies and lenders to finance clean energy projects.
The plan calls for $1 billion less for high speed rail this year. Just yesterday the administration called for a six-year investment of $53 billion in high speed rail development.
It would also give $1 billion less to the National Institutes of Health and $379 million less to NASA.
In line with the current Republican push against abortion services, the plan also calls for $327 million less for family planning.
