Obama promises to reduce government spending
Families are making tough decisions about their money and so too will their government, President Barack Obama said yesterday, promising that spending cuts are coming – and soon.
At a cabinet meeting on Monday, the president will ask department and agency heads for specific proposals for trimming their budgets.
"If were going to rebuild our economy on a solid foundation, we need to change the way we do business in Washington. We need to restore the American people's confidence in their government – that it is on their side, spending their money wisely, to meet their families needs," Obama said in his weekly radio and internet address, released, while he attended the Summit of the Americans in Trinidad.
To help achieve his goal of an efficient government, Obama announced the appointment of Jeffrey Zients, a founder and managing partner of the investment firm Portfolio Logic, as chief performance officer.
Zients, who also will serve as deputy director for management of the Office of Management and Budget, will work to streamline processes and cut costs.
On that front, Obama gave notice he wants to act quickly. "In the coming weeks, I will be announcing the elimination of dozens of government programmes shown to be wasteful," he said.
"In this effort, there will be no sacred cows and no pet projects. All across America, families are making hard choices, and it is time their government did the same."
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is ending consulting contracts to create new seals and logos that, Obama said, have cost the department $3 million (Dh11m) since 2003.
Obama also cited Defence Secretary Robert Gates' plan to overhaul contracting procedures and eliminate billions in wasteful spending.
The president praised Senators John McCain and Carl Levin, who are leading the effort in Congress. Republicans have kept criticising Obama's spending, both of his $787bn stimulus plan and his $3.6 trillion budget plan.
"Earlier this week, President Obama said that we need to get serious about fiscal discipline by trimming waste in the federal budget," Representative Kevin McCarthy said. "Republicans could not agree more. We want to work with the president to get our financial house back in order.
"It is irresponsible to borrow more than all previous American presidents combined. And it must stop if we want to get our economy moving again," he said.
"When will all this spending and borrowing end?"
Obama said he is determined to try to cut costs.
"That is why I have assembled a team of management, technology and budget experts to guide us in this work," he said.
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