The House Republicans are expected to take up the bill, which covers spending for fiscal 2011, this week. President Obama send out his fiscal year 2012 budget request on Monday.
The bill is expected to face opposition in the Democrat-controlled Senate and although the measure adds money to the Department of Defense’s budget, it would still see a $61 billion cut.
The measure is intended to replace a stop-gap spending bill that expires March 4, and would cut funds of programs and agencies ranging from military construction to the Peace Corps.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said in a statement:
“These are not easy cuts, but we are finally doing what every other American has to do in their households and their businesses, and that’s to begin a path of living within our means.”
The hardest hit agency that stands to lose the most in federal funding will be the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which is expected to be cut by 29 percent or $3 billion from last year’s budget, according to the House Appropriations Committee’s website.
The measure would also eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the AmeriCorps service program.
The legislation would likewise zero out funding for construction of new federal buildings and contains no money for earmarked special projects that have been popular with lawmakers from both parties, according to the synopsis.
Further, the Veterans Affairs Department would lose $160 million for information technology projects that have been cancelled, according to the appropriations committee.
