WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has asked federal agencies to propose ways to cut spending by 10 percent or more for the upcoming budget, underscoring the political jockeying under way as President Barack Obama and Congress prepare for a fiery autumn clash over the economy and the debt.
In a letter released Thursday, White House budget chief Jacob Lew told agency heads to submit financial blueprints with spending for the 2013 budget at least 5 percent below this year's levels. He also asked them to present additional proposals that would trim spending by a total of at least 10 percent that year.
The White House has asked agencies in years past to propose similar savings. But Lew's letter comes just two weeks after Obama and congressional Republicans ended an epic debt ceiling battle that has left both sides eager to demonstrate a willingness to trim red ink, just as the 2012 presidential and congressional elections approach.
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