Name:

The President’s Budget 2013

Introduction

Last week, the President unveiled his proposed budget for 2013. The total budget is around $3.7 trillion. This funding is divided up into all of the departments (Education, Defense, Energy, etc.) that make up the Executive Branch. Each department requests a certain amount of funding for its major priorities, and the President then asks Congress to approve this funding. (Remember, the Congress actually writes the laws, including how much money each department should receive. The departments cannot spend a dime unless Congress passes a law telling them that they can.)

Each department secretary goes before the relevant committee to request funding. For example, the Secretary of Energy would appear before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to defend his department’s budget requests. Because the House of Representatives is currently controlled by the Republicans, President Obama’s secretaries will have a very difficult time getting their requested funding. Republicans may even want the department to focus on other issues that reflect their priorities, not the President’s.

Assignment

Imagine that you are the secretary of a department that you choose (either Education, Agriculture, Defense, Homeland Security, or Justice). Create a dialogue where the secretary defends his/her agency, overall budget, key priorities/initiatives, etc., against the Republican committee chairman who wants to see spending cut and different priorities implemented.

In your dialogue, please include the following:

  1. Using your notes packet on the Cabinet from yesterday (or the Internet), provide a summary of what your department does, is responsible for, etc.
  2. Visit the two websites that follow. In your dialogue, explain and defend at least FOUR (4) of your department’s key priorities/initiatives in the upcoming year. It is crucial that you explain these in language that you understand. In other words, if Congress approves the department’s funding, what does the department want to do with the money in the upcoming year?
  3. (Just look at your department, and only the “Funding Highlights,” which is the first 1 or 2 pages of the PDF document. You do NOT have to read any more than that.)
  4. (Again, just look at your department. This site provides a short summary that can help.)
  5. Remember, this will be a respectful yet hostile discussion. For the most part, the Republican chairman will not support the majority of the President’s budget requests and priorities. Go to to find out who the actual chairman of the relevant committee is. Using his/her official House website, the committee website, Wikipedia, Google News, etc., explain how your chairman would view the President’s budget request. Many chairmen have already issued statements on this subject.

Possible Step to Demonstrate Advanced/Extended Thinking

In a meaningful paragraph, answer the following question: How would this process and dialogue be different in the Democratic-controlled Senate?

Assessed Learning Target

8.2 – Checks and Balances