Bush sends Congress $3.1 trillion federal budget plan

The largest proposed budget in U.S. history was announced yesterday by the Bush administration. As expected, the proposed budget sees cuts to Medicare and other health care programs and projects near-record deficits. Also reduced in the proposal are programs in the departments of education, interior, transportation, justice and agriculture.

The proposal does purport to balance the budget by 2012, not taking into account wartime spending. The $3.1 trillion proposed budget represents a 6% increase from estimated spending of $2.93 trillion for the fiscal year that ends September 30.