미국의 조지 부쉬 대통령은 6일 의회에 제출하는 2조 7천억 달러 규모의 2007년도 연방 정부 예산안에서 국내 지출을 대폭 삭감했습니다.
당국자들은 부쉬 대통령은 140억 달러를 절약하기 위해 정부가 지원하는 140여 개의 프로그램들을 감축하거나 완전 중단하기를 원하고 있다고 말했습니다.
부쉬 대통령은 또한 노인들과 장애인들을 위한 정부의료 보험 프로그램인 메디케어 예산에서 360억 달러를 삭감했습니다.
반면, 부쉬 대통령은 미군과 국토 안보부 예산은 지난 회계 년도 예산에 비해 5퍼센트 증액했습니다.
(영문)
President Bush wants to sharply curtail domestic spending in his proposed federal budget for next year, which goes to Congress today (Monday).
The president's spending plan for the United States for 2007 totals two-point-seven trillion dollars ($2,700,000,000,000).
Officials say Mr. Bush wants to cut or eliminate more than 140 domestic programs that the government sponsors, to save 14 billion dollars. The president also wants to trim 36 billion dollars from Medicare, the government health insurance program for this nation's elderly and disabled.
Cuts in domestic spending are part of Mr. Bush's pledge to halve the soaring federal deficit, now close to 400 billion dollars, within three years. The deficit -- the difference between what the government spends and the revenue, taxes and fees it receives -- ) has worsened due to the war in Iraq and the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and other storms.
The president is calling for a 5-percent budget increase for the U.S. military and (the Department of Homeland Security -- ) the agency responsible for counter-terrorist efforts in this country.