Budget increases focus on terrorism, homeland security

The budget significantly increases funding for security-related efforts and dramatically cuts discretionary spending unrelated to security, Bolten said in a briefing with reporters. Total discretionary spending is held to a 3.9 percent increase. Bush proposed to increase Defense Department spending by 7 percent and homeland security spending by 10 percent.Nondefense and non-homeland security spending will increase at 0.5 percent, less than the rate of inflation, Bolten said. The president's budget proposal predicts a $364 billion deficit in 2005, down from $521 billion in 2004, Bolten said. The administration will soon propose enactment of legal caps on discretionary and mandatory spending, so that any increases are set off by corresponding cuts, Bolten said. "We are very hopeful the budget enforcements are adopted," Bolten said. "We have a great deal of support on the Hill."Of the government's major programs, 65 will be eliminated and 63 will face funding cuts, Bolten said. The affected programs are either not showing great enough results or duplicate other efforts, he said.