The Chronicle of Philanthropy (February 17, 2005) reported that in President Bush’s 2006 spending plan proposed to Congress earlier in the month, the President suggested taking money away from many longstanding broad-based social programs that he claims are ineffective and reallocating some of that money to “new, carefully focused programs that would be carried out primarily by small charities and religious groups.”  Faced with a deficit of over $400 billion, the President proposed reducing by more than one percent every spending category other than those related to defense and homeland security. The Chronicle details key proposals in the budget plan from the perspective of the nonprofit sector, including figures for spending in fiscal 2005 and proposed spending for fiscal 2006.

According to a Washington Post article published the day before the budget plan was released (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3319-2005Feb6.html), the budget plan singled out about 150 programs for elimination or radical reduction.  Among the programs to be cut are 48 education programs totaling $4.3 billion, including $2.2 billion for high school programs, mostly state grants for vocational education. The budget would also cut $440 million in Safe and Drug-Free School grants, $500 million in educational technology state grants, $225 million for the Even Start literacy program, $280 million for Upward Bound programs for inner-city youths and a $150 million talent research program.