President Bush Proposes $3.1 Trillion Budget

This week, President Bush became the first President to propose a $3 trillion budget for the federal government. If ever there was a symbol of government bloat and excessive federal, this was it.  

The proposed budget would increase funding for the SCHIP health-care program, college tuition assistance, and the FDA.  It includes increased spending in the department of agriculture and labor, as well as the EPA. 

The new budget also pushes the deficit skyward, from $163 billion last year up to nearly $410 billion this year. A significant factor in the increase is the recently passed $145 billion stimulus package, which, thanks in large part to House Democrats, was larded with expensive programs designed to appeal to Democratic constituents—but not to boost the economy.

With budgets this large, the public's ability to scrutinize the details is more important than ever. In an effort to increase budget transparency, FreedomWorks has put together an online tool that allows anyone to browse the budget by department and view how the money is allocated. Visit www.freedomworks.org/budget to see how Washington plans to spend your money.