Budget boosts and cuts, agency by agency

Agency FY 2008 Proposal
(in billions)
FY 2009 Proposal
(in billions)
FY 2009-FY 2008
(in billions)
Agriculture $20.2 $20.8 +0.6
Commerce 6.6 8.2 +1.6
Defense 481.4 515.4 +34.0
Education 56.0 59.2 +3.2
Energy 24.3 25.0 +0.7
Health and Human
Services
69.3 70.4 +1.1
Homeland Security 34.3 37.6 +3.3
Housing and Urban
Development
35.2 38.5 +3.3
Interior 10.6 10.6 --
Justice 20.2 20.3 +0.1
Labor 10.6 10.5 -0.1
State and other
international
programs
35.0 38.3 +3.3
Transportation 67 68 +1.0
Treasury 12.1 12.5 +0.4
Veterans Affairs 39.4 44.8 +5.4
Army Corps of
Engineers
4.9 4.7 -0.2
Environmental
Protection Agency
7.2 7.1 -0.1
Judicial Branch 6.1 6.3 +0.2
Legislative Branch 4.4 4.7 +0.3
NASA 17.3 17.6 +0.3
National Science
Foundation
6.4 6.9 +0.5
Small Business
Administration
0.5 (463M) 0.7 +0.2
Social Security
Administration
7.9 8.4 +0.5
Other Agencies 7.5 7.2 -0.3
Executive Office
of the President
0.3 0.4 +0.1

Note: Supplemental and emergency funding requests are excluded.

COMMENTS

  • I'd like to see exactly what the FDA is getting too. Increase or decrease?
  • Although the increses appear to be an increase on the surface, they really are a decrease. You will note that the annual pay increase that is supposed to keep Gov in line with private is more than the increase in the budget for the agency. Which means that the agency is usually taking a hit vs. an increase. This has been going on for years and years and the agency budget for program work is being eaten-up by the salary increases. Then there is inflation in the cost of everything from supplies, to fuel, to contractor wages. I agree that some agencies really need to look more closely at their spending plans, but what happens often is that spending on programs is denied because of a projected shortfall. When at the end of the year it turns out there is money left, there is a mad rush to spend on things put on hold. The drawback of this is that the ability to put funds to the more long-term efforts is compromised by the short window in which it is possible to spend. Maybe what needs to be looked at is the fiscal planning within agencies. The ability to project costs needs to be refined to a point where it is accurate.
  • the troubling part is almost all agencies are getting increases, there is way to much fat and a real belt tighting is needed. Hopefully the new president will relook at these budget priorities and do some real cutting. Other than VA and DOD a minimum 10% cut is warranted