All you need to know about priorities: Race to the top gets 700 mil more in new budget

[n2doc]

Budget deal: Cuts of $38 billion include accounting gimmicks, target Obama priorities

By Philip Rucker, Tuesday, April 12, 9:49 PM

snip:

Although the pain would be felt across virtually the entire government — the deal includes a $1 billion across-the-board cut shared among all non-defense agencies — Republicans were able to focus the sharpest cuts on areas they have long targeted. The Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services departments, which represent about 28 percent of non-defense discretionary spending, face as much as a combined $19.8 billion, or 52 percent, of the total reductions in the plan.

In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency, long a target of conservatives, will see a $1.6 billion cut, representing a 16 percent decrease from 2010 levels. At the Department of the Interior, affected agencies include the Fish and Wildlife Services ($141 million cut from last year), the National Park Service ($127 million cut from last year) and “clean and drinking water state revolving funds” ($997 million cut from last year).

Democrats were able to beat back the most severe cuts originally proposed by House Republicans and protect funding for some cherished programs, such as Head Start, AmeriCorps and the implementation of the new health-care and food safety laws.

“Race to the Top,” Obama’s signature education reform initiative, will receive an additional $700 million in funding.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/38-billion-in-cu...