Obama's Budget: More for Military Families
First lady Michelle Obama is announcing an increase of $8.8 billion in the president's 2011 budget proposal for programs to support military families.
More than $1 billion of the additional money would go to expand child care services at child development centers serving military families in the U.S and overseas. Nearly $2 billion would go toward expanding counseling and other services, from financial counseling to relocation assistance.
President Barack Obama's budget also includes $84 million for career development for military spouses, including tuition assistance.
Mrs. Obama announced the increased funding Tuesday during a luncheon for military spouses at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington.
The president sends his budget blueprint to Congress next week, , but officials have already outlined some budget cuts that the president will announce in tomorrow's State of the Union address. They come in the form of a freeze of non-defense, security and veterans spending.
Now that the Senate has rejected a plan to create a special task force to tackle the deficit, Republicans and Democrats are likely to exchange blame over budget decisions.