To pay for rebuilding the areas devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, conservative House Republicans have proposed "Operation Offset," an effort to find savings in the federal budget. The proposed cuts range from healthcare to foreign aid and federal bureaucracy and total almost $500 billion over 10 years. Republican representatives are now calling on President Bush and Congress to support it. Among the suggestions:
- $7.6 billion cut from the Global AIDS/HIV Initiative
- $44 billion from the cancellation of NASA's new moon and mars missions
- $2.5 billion cut from Amtrak
- $6.8 billion to restrict Homeland Security grants to at-risk communities
- $1.7 billion to eliminate funding for the National Endowments for the Arts
- $2.5 billion to eliminate funding for the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
- $8.6 billion to end subsidized loans to graduate students
- $4.8 billion to eliminate state grants for safe and drug free schools
- $5.6 billion to cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- $25 billion cut from the Centers for Disease Control
From the Republican Study Committee's report on "Operation Offset."
