WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama
vowed Saturday to stick to the big-ticket items in his
budget proposal but acknowledged that dollar amounts would
"undoubtedly change" as Congress prepared to take up his record
spending plan.
Trying to refocus attention from the AIG
(nyse:
AIG -
news
-
people
) bonus scandal that
has drawn public outrage, Obama stepped up defense of his $3.55
trillion budget for fiscal 2010, a linchpin of his efforts to
rescue the ailing economy from the worst crisis in decades.
"It's an economic blueprint for our future, a vision of
America where growth is not based on real estate bubbles or
over-leveraged banks, but on a firm foundation of investments
in energy, education and health care that will lead to a real
and lasting prosperity," Obama said in his weekly radio
address.
The budget committees of the Senate and House
were set to begin crafting their budget
legislation next week.
Republicans and even some of Obama's fellow Democrats who
control Congress have complained that his budget, the first of
his presidency, is too costly. It projects deficits of $1.75
trillion this fiscal year and $1.17 trillion next fiscal year.
Congressional budget experts Friday offered a darker
economic and budget outlook, projecting a $1.8 trillion deficit
this year which could complicate Obama's efforts to win passage
of his 2010 budget.
Taking on his critics, Obama said: "These investments are
not a wish list of priorities that I picked out of thin air.
"They are a central part of a comprehensive strategy to
grow this economy by attacking the very problems that have
dragged it down for too long: the high cost of health care and
our dependence on foreign oil, our education deficit and our
fiscal deficit."
Reminding listeners that he had inherited a "fiscal mess"
from his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, Obama -- who
took office on Jan. 20 -- reiterated his pledge to cut the
federal deficit in half by the end of his term.
But he acknowledged room for compromise on a final budget
deal. "As the House and the Senate take up this budget next
week, the specific details and dollar amounts in this budget
will undoubtedly change," Obama said. "That's a normal and
healthy part of the process.
He urged lawmakers to act with a sense of urgency, saying
"the challenges we face are too large to ignore."
(Editing by Chris Wilson)
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