Congress's budget plans align with Obama's

WASHINGTON, March 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. House and Senate budget panels are taking up resolutions "fully in line" with President Obama's priorities, the White House budget director says.

"Not only to they embody the four key principles that the president has put forward for the budget, but they are 98 percent the same as the budget proposal the president sent up in February," Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag said in a briefing Wednesday.

During his news conference Tuesday night, Obama outlined his key budget goals of reforms in healthcare, energy independence and education, as well deficit reduction. Congress is expected to begin fashioning its budget proposals soon.

"(We) want to make sure that the budget reflects key investments in healthcare, in energy, in education and cuts the deficit in half," Orszag said, repeating the position the White House has made previously. "And both the House and Senate chairmen's marks do precisely that."

The House budget resolution would hit $586 billion in 2013, while the Senate Budget Committee's resolution hits $570 billion in 2013, so both "meet the standard of cutting the deficit in half," the OMB director said.

Concerning energy, education and healthcare provisions, Orszag said they offered deficit-neutral language, as required by the administration.

Orszag said it was "easy to lob criticisms" but so far he's not seen any alternative to Obama's $3.6 trillion budget proposal.

"(Part) of the policy process needs to involve putting forward alternatives," Orszag said. "I haven't seen on the Senate side an alternative budget and my understanding is there won't be one."