While acknowledging that the government is adding to an already large budget deficit through the Recovery Act, President Obama spoke to the need to cut spending by examining every government program and entitlement and ask, “Is this program really essential?”
He said his administration has already started poring through the budget line by line for under performing programs that can be cut or reduced, similar to what past administrations have said when starting the budget process each year.
However, Obama said this process also includes strengthening whistleblower protections for employees stepping forward to report wasteful spending, as well as re-instituting pay-as-you-go policies requiring cuts when new spending is proposed.
He has also asked department and agency heads to propose budget cuts, and said he assembled a team of management, technology, and budget experts to help revamp government operations.
The administration is expected to issue a detailed fiscal 2010 budget proposal shortly.
