A department-by-department guide to cutting the federal government's budget.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development funds public housing, provides rental vouchers, and subsidizes homeownership.
The department will spend $63 billion in 2010, or about $530 for every U.S. household. It employs 9,500 workers and operates more than 110 subsidy programs.
The Department of Education provides loans and grants to college students and subsidizes elementary and secondary schools.
The department will spend $107 billion in 2010, or about $900 for every U.S. household. It employs 4,100 workers and operates more than 160 subsidy programs.
The Department of Agriculture administers large farm subsidy programs and runs the food stamp and school lunch programs.
The department will spend about $142 billion in 2010, or about $1,200 for every U.S. household. It employs 96,000 workers and operates more than 230 subsidy programs.
Biden's Fatal Conceit
The White House’s misbegotten “Summer of Recovery” continued today with the release of another administration “analysis” that purportedly demonstrates the stimulus’s success in “transforming” the economy. Read more
States Shy From HSR Money
The president’s stimulus package contained an $8 billion downpayment on a national system of high-speed rail. The money came with no state matching requirements, which generated state applications totaling $102 billion. When Congress added a 20 percent state matching requirement to an additional $2.3 billion for high-speed rails grants in this year’s budget, state applications only totaled $8.5 billion. Read more
FHA Insures Luxury Condos
The Treasury Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development held a high-profile conference this week on the “Future of Mortgage Finance.” The federal government is currently backing more than 90 percent of new mortgages through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration. Read more
