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President Obama offered a $3.7 trillion budget that would make cuts to some programs to help chip away at the nation's deficit but increase others that he said are crucial to
America's economic future. Republicans, energized by a large class of fiscally conservative freshmen in Congress, slammed Obama's budget, proposed Monday, as a spending binge the
nation cannot afford. Obama's blueprint would cut $400 billion during the next decade in domestic programs, but it does not take on the politically difficult proposals his own deficit
commission has said are needed to reform Social Security and Medicare. The president would freeze discretionary spending, outside of security costs, for five years. But it's not an
across-the-board cut — some programs would come out winners and some big losers. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), for instance, would be cut nearly in half from $5.1
billion. Housing for older Americans would be cut $68 million to $757 million, with most of the cuts coming from new construction for needy seniors. "It's mixed," said
Cristina Martin Firvida, director of economic security for AARP, who said she was relieved that Meals on Wheels and meals for senior centers were not cut. "There are things here we like
and things here we don't like." The nation needs to "start living within its means," Obama told children at Parkville Middle School and Center for Technology in
Baltimore. But education, infrastructure and research programs need to be beefed up at the same time, he said. "I'm convinced that if we out-build and out-innovate and out-educate,
as well as out-hustle the rest of the world, the jobs and industries of our time will take root here in the United States," Obama said in remarks before addressing students.
Republicans, who now control the House, decried Obama's spending increases and likely will put up roadblocks to those plans. "The president's budget will destroy jobs by
spending too much, taxing too much and borrowing too much," said House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio. "The president's budget isn't winning the future, it's
spending the future. … Our goal is to listen to the American people and liberate our economy from the shackles of debt, over-taxation and big government. " Before Congress even begins
considering Obama's budget, which is for the year that starts Oct. 1, it must finish work on the current-year budget. The federal budget is funded under a temporary measure that runs
out in early March.