White House Putting Off Budget Update

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

(07-20) 11:19 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

The White House is being forced to acknowledge the wide gap between its once-upbeat predictions about the economy and today's bleak landscape.

The administration's annual midsummer budget update is sure to show higher deficits and unemployment and slower growth than projected in President Barack Obama's budget in February and update in May, and that could complicate his efforts to get his signature health care and global-warming proposals through Congress.

The release of the update — usually scheduled for mid-July — has been put off until the middle of next month, giving rise to speculation the White House is delaying the bad news at least until Congress leaves town Aug. 7 on its summer recess.

The administration is pressing for votes before then on its $1 trillion health care initiative, which lawmakers are arguing over how to finance.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Monday blamed the delay entirely on the "transition from one administration to the next" and not from any attempt to deceive Congress.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/20/national/w002741D31.DTL

[GoesTo11]

1. Ruh

roh.

[tomm2thumbs]

2. build some hospitals - if you build it, they will come (jobs)

[foginthemorn]

3. The delay will give fresh ammo to the Repugs......

as indicated already in the story.