http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington ... ding_x.htm

Bush signs spending bill

The Associated Press
President Bush on Wednesday signed into law a $388 billion legislative package that covers the spending of every federal agency but the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security.

Congress sent the measure, which covers the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, to the president on Tuesday. A temporary spending measure was to expire at midnight.

Following are the highlights of the bill. The figures do not include effects of an across-the-board cut of at least 0.8% imposed on programs throughout the bill, part of a last-minute deal to pay for some of the measure's increases.

• _Education: $59.7 billion, $1.4 billion over last year and $300 million below President Bush's request. Aid to low-income school districts $12.8 billion, $500 million below Bush but $500 million more than last year. Grants for improving teacher quality $1.5 billion, 0.7% over last year. Aid for disabled students $11.8 billion, 5.4% over last year.

• Transportation: Overall $59 billion, $1.1 billion over last year and $1 billion more than Bush requested. Highway construction gets $34.7 billion, $1 billion over last year and over Bush's proposal. Federal Aviation Administration gets $10.4 billion, $100 million over last year. Amtrak gets $1.2 billion, the same as last year.

• Foreign aid: $19.5 billion, $2 billion over last year and $1.8 billion below Bush's request. Total $2.9 billion for fighting AIDS in poor countries, $100 million more than Bush wanted.

• State Department: $8.3 billion, a $554 million cut from 2004. Embassy security would grow by 17% to $612 million.

• Land and cultural programs: The Interior Department will get $9.9 billion, nearly $100 million less than Bush wanted and 0.4% more than 2004. National parks operating money goes up 6%, but money for buying park lands remains nearly two-thirds below the peak of three years ago.

• Health and social programs: Maternal and child health gets $896 million, 0.7% over last year. AIDS programs get almost $2.1 billion, 1.2% over last year. National Institutes of Health get $28.5 billion, 3.1% over last year, one of its smallest increases in years. Energy assistance for low income families $2.2 billion, 4% over last year.

• Veterans: Veterans' health care programs will get $30.3 billion, $1.9 billion over last year and $1.2 billion more than Bush wanted.

• Housing, urban affairs: $37.3 billion, 1.6% below last year and 1.4% over Bush's request.

• Justice Department: $20.9 billion, $1 billion over last year. FBI gets $5.2 billion, almost a 14% increase over last year. Aid to state and local law enforcement agencies is $1.3 billion, $90 million below last year.

• Environmental Protection Agency: $8.1 billion, 3.3% below last year but 3.8% over Bush.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration: $16.2 billion, or 5.3% over last year.

• Postal Service: Bill includes $507 million for equipment to detect biohazards and to build a postal facility in Washington, D.C., to irradiate mail to destroy possible biological contamination.

• Congress: $3.6 billion, $43 million over last year. Capitol Police get $232 million, $13 million over last year. No funds provided for continuing construction of Capitol Visitors' Center, which is running well over budget and has money left over from previous years.

Well there's a rather glaring reason conservatives should hate Bush. He hasn't axed one spending program while in office.

Rumsfelds comments yesterday should have been enough to get him removed from office, one more reason not to like the Bush administration for conservatives and liberals alike.

No shit. Why are people so blind as to think he'll spend less money? Yes, taxes have gone down..but how the hell are we supposed to pay for all of this stuff?

The government should look into frequent flyer miles. Just image how many free flights they could get if they put all this spending on a credit card.

Yeah then maybe incumbant presidential candidates could fly on commercial jets instead of Air Force 1 when they campaign.

Ugggghhhhhhhh

Does anywone have an indication of what the budget for "defense" is?

380-400 billion a year last I saw.

I'm sure the economy will be just fine...

"Currency markets hate freedom.".

Man, that's hilarious.

My favorite-

Inflation inevitable after U.S. Mint began allowing people to print $20 bills on their inkjet printer.

It's not so much that the dollar is weak, as the US economy is moving forward with almost no inflation, while Europe's economy remains in stagnation with high inflation. But hey, if you'd rather trade 3.9% GDP growth and a 5.4% unemployment rate for no economic growth and 10% unemployment rate to equalize the values of our currency...

Deficit is a snowball...