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U.S. NEWSWednesday 10 February
Obama sends Congress record $4.1 trillion 2017 spending plan
dim prospects of winning the federal government at
approval in a Republican-
controlled Congress. the expense of hardwork-
Obama’s budget would
increase taxes by $2.6 tril- ing Americans,” said House
lion over the coming de-
cade, nearly double the Speaker Paul Ryan.
$1.4 trillion in new taxes
Obama sought and failed Even with the increased
to achieve in last year’s
budget. taxes, Obama’s budget
Republican lawmakers
said Obama’s proposal to projects sharply higher defi-
impose a $10 per barrel
tax on crude oil to bring cits in coming years, total-
in an additional $319 bil-
lion over the next decade ing $9.8 trillion over the next
had no chance of win-
ning approval in Congress. decade.
Obama’s budget would
use that money to fund bil- Much of the problem re-
lions of dollars in alternative
transportation programs as lates to the surge in spend-
part of efforts to deal with
global warming. ing on the government’s
“This isn’t even a budget
so much as it is a progres- big benefit programs of
sive manual for growing
Social Security and Medi-
care, which are forecast to
soar with the retirement of
millions of baby boomers.
The budget sees the econ-
omy growing at a 2.6 per-
Copies of President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2017 federal budget are staged for display by Eric cent rate this year, though
Euland, Republican staff director for Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.,
on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. administration officials
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) noted that projection was
finalized in November, prior
A. TAYLOR proposing to spend a re- like the Islamic State group. to the recent stock market
M. CRUTSINGER cord $4.1 trillion on initia- The new spending plan for
Associated Press Writers tives that include launch- the budget year that be- slide. Inflation would re-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- ing a new fight against gins Oct. 1 is facing heavy
dent Barack Obama sent cancer, combating global fire from Republicans who main low, registering a 1.5
Congress on Tuesday his warming and facing grow- hope to capture the White
eighth and final budget, ing threats from extremists House. The proposal had percent gain this year.
Obama seeking cybersecurity
boost to replace ‘ancient’ tech
TAMI ABDOLLAH ing to have to play some
Associated Press catch-up.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- Across town, the U.S. direc-
dent Barack Obama said tor of national intelligence,
Tuesday he is asking Con- James Clapper, warned
gress for $3.1 billion to up- Congress that Russia, Chi-
date the government’s ar- na, Iran and North Korea
chaic computer systems to are the most serious threats
protect them from cyber- to U.S. information systems.
attacks as part of a new, Clapper also said increas-
centralized effort to boost ingly connected devices
cybersecurity. and appliances make
Obama said he will hire a the U.S. vulnerable in new
new chief information se- ways.
curity officer — but whose Obama’s comments came
salary would be paltry com- after the release of his 2017
pared to those paid by big budget proposal. Obama
businesses — and expand is asking Congress for $19
the government’s troubled billion more in cybersecu-
“Einstein” intrusion-preven- rity funding across all gov-
tion technology. Obama ernment agencies — an
said some infrastructure is increase of more than from
downright ancient, with 35 percent from last year.
the Social Security Admin- Dubbed the “Cybersecu-
istration relying on systems rity National Action Plan,”
from the 1960s that are vul- the White House touted the
nerable. plan as the “capstone” of
“That’s going to have to seven years of work to build
change,” Obama said, a cohesive federal cyber-
flanked by top national se- security response — an ef-
curity advisers in the Roos- fort that has often faltered
evelt Room. “We’re go- in the past.q
