President Bush unveiled his proposed $3 trillion budget for 2009 on February 4th in Washington. The budget, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “proposes increased funding for the Department of Defense [by $35 billion to $515 billion for core programs–NOT including war costs], cuts to health care programs, and about $2.4 billion less for domestic discretionary programs other than Homeland Security.”
Specific program cuts include:
$1.3 billion less than is needed to fund existing Section 8 Housing Vouchers
$315 million from Public Housing funding
$659 million from Community Development Block Grants
$77 million from Housing for People with Disabilities
Elimination of the Community Services Block Grant–$654 million
The budget also proposes to cut Medicaid by $18 billion over 5 years.
The budget is likely to reach a record deficit of over $413 billion after including all the war funding–$70 billion requested, but will likely be much higher since he requested $200 billion this year.
Sources:
Bush cuts health and community services
Budget Would Cut Programs for Housing and Homelessness
The President’s FY 2009 Budget Proposal: Analysis and Policy Implications
Bush Budget Sees Bigger Deficits as Economy Slows