Iraq War Spending Request Brings Total to $456 Billion; Proposed Budget Would Cut Programs for Neediest

NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts - February 7 - While President Bush requests an additional $100 billion in war spending for fiscal year 2007, his proposed budget for fiscal year 2008 would cut $13 billion from programs that serve low- and middle-income Americans, according to the National Priorities Project (NPP), a non-profit, non-partisan research group that studies the local impact of federal policies. NPP offers an analysis of the President's budget and war spending requests that includes state-level breakdowns.

NPP's analysis includes how the President's budget request for fiscal year 2008 would impact each state in several program areas, including: Community Development Block Grants, Head Start, Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, Special Education, Child Care and Development Block Grant, and Low-Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP). New state-level cost of war numbers are also available.

The budget request released by the administration proposes cuts in non-security related discretionary spending. Compared to fiscal year 2006, $13 billion would be cut from these programs, while another $100 billion would be added for more war spending, which, if approved, would bring the total spent on the Iraq War to date to $456 billion.
"While the tab for the Iraq War continues to skyrocket, the President's proposed budget cuts more dollars from education, health care and a whole host of programs that serve our neediest citizens," said Greg Speeter, executive director of the National Priorities Project. "The people of this country deserve to see what these choices will mean to them and their communities."