Billions in Budget Cuts Proposed in 2012 Budget

Harold Rogers

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) is proposing to cut $74 billion from President Obama's pending 2012 Budget reqeust.

Republicans are proposing to defund President Obama's high-speed rail initiative, slash clean energy programs and cut the Office of Science by 20 percent.

They would also cut the Environmental Protection Agency by 17 percent.

In the budget request President Obama will deliver to Congress on Monday, he plans to include a five-year freeze in non-security spending that would save an estimated $400 billion over the next decade. It is also being reported that Obama is proposing to halve funding for low-income heating assistance, or put it back at its regular funding level. Obama will request $2.57 billion for the program, its level in 2008, before Congress doubled its funding to account for a spike in the price of fuel. (Wash Post, 2/9/2011)