Obama requests scalpel for budget cuts

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama has proposed a plan to reduce congressional spending, allowing him to cut "heavily earmarked" bills submitted for his signature.

Obama submitted proposed legislation -- called the Reduce Unnecessary Spending Act of 2010 -- that gives the president authority to review the congressional budget after it passes and cross out "duplicative or ineffective" items, White House Budget Director Peter Orszag said in a statement.

The package of presidential cuts would then be sent to Congress for an endorsement "without amendment and with a guaranteed up-or-down vote within a specified time frame," Orszag said.

This would allow Obama to cut out items that are "heavily earmarked or not merit-based," Orszag said.

The statement listed the State Assistance for Water Infrastructure at the Environmental Protection Agency as "earmarked" as opposed to being funded through a "regular formula allocation process."

The program costs $157 million.

Similarly, $25 million is allocated to the Agricultural Department and the Department of Commerce, for public broadcasting, "even though this activity is ably supported through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting," the statement said.