By Matt Kelley and Seung Min Kim, USA TODAY
Stimulus aided programs Obama wants cut
WASHINGTON — Federal programs deemed ineffective by President Obama and targeted for elimination in his proposed budget include five that stand to get about $500 million in economic stimulus funds, documents show.
In his $3.6 trillion budget released Thursday, Obama identified 121 programs that he wants to eliminate or reduce to save $17 billion. That includes eliminating an Army Corps of Engineers program that funds wastewater treatment projects and a U.S. Department of Agriculture flood control program — two programs that less than three months ago received a combined $490 million in the $787 billion economic stimulus bill.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) now says the programs should be eliminated because they consist mostly of projects selected by Congress and not based on merit, budget documents show. The combined savings would be $204 million in fiscal year 2010, the office says. The USDA reported Tuesday that so far it has spent $84.8 million of stimulus funds on flood control projects. The Corps of (continues...)
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