President's FY 2010 Budget: Change That May Happen

On May 7, 2009, President Obama released budget details for fiscal year (FY) 2010. Unlike past years, the budget proposes increases for both defense and non-defense programs. For states, this budget differs from budget requests under the Bush administration in that far fewer existing programs are proposed for elimination and many receive slight increases. While there are a few new spending programs proposed in this budget, the scale of such programs is not extensive. Also in contrast to recent years, this budget may find a more receptive audience, inasmuch as the same party controls the administration and both houses of Congress.

This Budget Brief describes the major proposals of importance to states. Table 1 summarizes proposed changes in budget authority for a number of major grant programs. The table compares proposed FY 2010 spending levels to FY 2009 enacted levels.

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