President Bush’s FY 2009 budget proposal, released on February 4, is replete with upside-down priorities. For the seventh year in a row, the President proposes making harmful cuts to domestic appropriations while at the same time extending tax cuts for the wealthy. At a time when the economy is sinking and Americans are struggling, the President fails to provide adequate funding for health care, job training, education, housing and other critical programs.  For a more detailed and brief analysis of the President’s budget click here.
Congress must now adopt its own FY 2009 budget resolution. The deadline for doing so is April 15.  However, this year Members of Congress have set a goal to complete the budget resolution a month early, by March 14, before they adjourn for spring recess. Their budget resolution is likely to articulate a different set of priorities than the President’s. Advocates are making the case that funding cuts made to human needs programs must be restored and progress made.

To track how various human needs programs have fared over time refer to:

1. Table comparing the President’s FY 2009 budget request to the current year (FY 2008) for selected human needs programs; and
2. Table comparing the President’s FY 2009 budget request to FY 2005 and FY 2008 for selected human needs programs.

More analyses of the President’s budget from various organizations, as well as state data, can be found here.

An audio briefing on the budget is also available.

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