Obama calls on Congress to curb spending on personal projects

Obama calls on Congress to curb spending on personal projects

2010-11-14 10:26:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday asked Congress to cut spending on local projects, as a way to show commitment to deficit reduction.

In his weekly radio address, Obama referred to the use of earmarks after being heavily criticized by the U.S. deficit in the G20 summit.

"Given the deficits that have mounted up over the past decade, we can’t afford to make these investments unless we’re also willing to cut what we don’t need. That’s why I’ve submitted to Congress a plan for a three-year budget freeze, and I’m prepared to offer additional savings," Obama said.

Obama, on Asian tour, said this week the government updated the website www.earmarks.gov, with information about what was spent last year.

As he acknowledged that earmarks, including a "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska, represent only a small part of the budget, "when it comes to signaling our commitment to fiscal responsibility, addressing them would have an important impact." he said.

"We have a chance to not only shine a light on a bad Washington habit that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars, but take a step towards restoring public trust," he said.

Obama is on Saturday in Yokohama, Japan to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The president arrived in Japan from Seoul after a summit with leaders of 20 of the world's biggest economies.

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