So while Bush is flying/bussing around the country and telling everyone what a great job he's doing and how he's helping make the economy better or the pie higher, his administration is also making plans to cut spending in 2006. And it's going to hurt.
The programs facing reductions -- should President Bush be re-elected in November -- would also include the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department.
Leaked documents first reported by the Washington Post show
--domestic security at the Homeland Security Department and other agencies would go from $30.6 billion in 2005 to $29.6 billion in 2006, a 3 percent drop.
--the Education Department would go from $57.3 billion in 2005 to $55.9 billion in 2006, 2.4 percent less.
--the Veterans Affairs Department would fall 3.4 percent from $29.7 billion in 2005 to $28.7 billion.
--the Environmental Protection Agency would drop from $7.8 billion in 2005 to $7.6 billion, or 2.6 percent.
--the National Institutes of Health, which finances biomedical research and had its budget doubled over a recent five-year period, would fall from $28.6 billion to $28 billion, or 2.1 percent.
--the Interior Department would fall 1.9 percent from $10.8 billion in 2005 to $10.6 billion.
--the Defense Department would grow 5.2 percent to $422.7 billion in 2006, and the Justice Department would increase 4.3 percent to $19.5 billion in 2006.
The story also says
Many of the targeted programs are widely popular. Cuts could carry a political price for a president who has touted his support for schools, the environment and other domestic initiatives.
Oh, and by the way, the source of this particular story is the Fox News website. Yes, Fox News. You know Bush is in real trouble when Fox starts reporting this stuff.
