February 14, 2011 2:16PM 

# Federal Budget: Obama Chickens Out 

By [Chris Edwards](https://www.cato.org/people/chris-edwards) 

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Despite the record $1.6 trillion deficit this year, and the consensus that exploding spending and debt is pushing the nation toward catastrophe, the Obama administration has completely chickened out on spending reforms in its new budget.

The president took a “shellacking” in the November elections as a result of his big-government policies. Does his new budget reflect any movement to the fiscal center? Not at all — spending levels in his new budget are virtually the same as in last year’s budget.

Read [my post at NRO](http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/259718/president-chickens-out-spending-cuts-chris-edwards) for full details.

##### Related Tags 

[Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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