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Obama to Seek 3-Year Freeze on Spending to Tame Deficit

   VOA News 26 January 2010
   Pres.  Barack  Obama  announces  economic  initiatives  for struggling
   middle class families, 25 Jan 2010, in the Eisenhower Executive Office
   Building across from the White House

Photo: AP

   Pres.  Barack  Obama  announces  economic  initiatives  for struggling
   middle class families, 25 Jan 2010

   U.S.  President  Barack  Obama  plans to ask Congress for a three-year
   spending freeze on many domestic programs, in a move to underscore his
   seriousness about reducing the budget deficit.
   Administration  officials say the president will propose the freeze in
   his  State  of the Union address on Wednesday, and it will be included
   in the budget he submits to Congress on February 1.
   The  plan,  which is expected to save about $250 billion over the next
   decade,  would  not  apply  to spending on defense, veterans, homeland
   security or foreign aid.
   The  White  House  has  been under pressure to reduce excess spending,
   following  a  record $1.4 trillion budget deficit in fiscal year 2009.
   On  Tuesday,  the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated a
   $1.3 trillion deficit for 2010.
   During  his  address,  Mr.  Obama  is also expected to detail economic
   initiatives to help middle income families and create jobs.
   In an interview Monday with a U.S. television network (ABC), Mr. Obama
   said he remains determined to address the country's toughest problems,
   even if his actions prove politically unpopular.
   His  health  care reform plan has drawn criticism, as has his previous
   decisions  to  bail  out the nation's banks and rescue automakers from
   collapse.
   He acknowledged paying a political price for his initiatives, with his
   public  approval  rating  dropping steadily since taking office a year
   ago.
   Last week, a key initiative of his administration, health care reform,
   suffered a setback with the election of Massachusetts Republican Scott
   Brown to the U.S. Senate.
   The  election  gave  the Republican party 41 members in the 100-member
   Senate,    enough   seats   to   employ   delaying   tactics   against
   Democrat-supported legislation such as health care reform.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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