Federal Government Policy and Business

Obama's final budget proposal calls for $4.15 trillion in spending

The Washington Post: President Obama sent the final budget proposal of his presidency to Congress on Tuesday, a $4.15 trillion package that will mark the closing rounds of a long-running fiscal battle with Republicans in Congress over the nation’s spending priorities.

The proposal would boost total spending by 4.9 percent, mainly as a result of increases in mandatory programs, most notably Social Security, and a rise in interest payments on the national debt. In keeping with the two-year budget deal struck with Congress in December, the president requested only a slight increase, less than 1 percent, in discretionary spending programs overall, though Republicans still accused him profligate spending.

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