http://www.freep.com/article/20110204/NEWS07/102040367/Battle-looms-GOP-pushes-domestic-spending-cutsFeb 4, 2011 | Comments
WASHINGTON -- Republicans now controlling the U.S. House promised Thursday to slash domestic agencies' budgets by almost 20% for the coming year, the first salvo in what's sure to be a bruising battle over their drive to cut spending to where it was before President Barack Obama took office.
"Washington's spending spree is over," said U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the House Budget Committee chairman who announced the plan. "The spending limits will restore sanity to a broken budget process," he said, returning "to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels."
Republicans won't get everything they want. Democrats are in charge of the White House and the Senate.
The White House said the GOP effort could cause widespread furloughs of federal employees, force vulnerable people off subsidized housing, reduce services in national parks and result in less aid to schools and police and fire departments.