Budget reactions

Quotes about President Bush's proposed 2009 budget, submitted Monday to Congress:

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"It's a good budget. It's a budget that achieves some important objectives. One, it understands our top priority is to defend our country, so we fund our military, as well as fund the homeland security. ... Secondly, the budget keeps our economy growing. ... You know, in my State of the Union I said to the Congress that there's a lot of talk about entitlement spending. Once again, we've proposed specific reforms and specific measures. And Congress needs to come up with its own ideas." — Bush.

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"The president's misguided budget cuts health care for seniors and working families, freezes lifesaving medical research, raises health care costs for veterans, and slashes energy assistance — all at a time of rising prices and a slowing economy. And once again, the president does not fully account for the true cost of the war in Iraq." — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

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"The president proposed pro-growth policies aligned with our long-term economic goals. The best way to ensure lasting health for the U.S. economy is to keep taxes low and spending in check so that U.S. businesses remain competitive and American families have more to invest." — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

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"In the face of a looming recession, the president's budget does nothing to strengthen our economy, and fails to respond to the real problems facing middle-class families. His cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will only compound the problems facing seniors and millions of other Americans struggling amid ever-rising health care costs." — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

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"As our nation faces increasing economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever to stay on track toward balancing the budget without raising taxes on families and small businesses." — House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

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"President Bush's final budget is simply a continuation of failed policies that have created dangerous deficits and debt, while at the same time decreasing critical investments in our nation's future." — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

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"The president's budget proposal marks a starting point for a bipartisan discussion about how we can fix a broken Washington and curb wasteful spending." — Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla.

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"The president has submitted a budget that would saddle America with one of the largest budget deficits in history, while cutting health care for seniors and education for our children." — Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill.

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"The president this morning gave Congress a clear sense of the priorities he intends to pursue on behalf of the American people this year, and I'm glad to see that securing our borders, strengthening our Armed Forces, and promoting broad-based, pro-growth tax relief sit atop his list." — House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

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"There is no better example of why we need change in Washington than an eighth Bush budget that once again contains neither compassion nor conservatism." — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

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"The president is right to put a spotlight on entitlement spending, which is growing much too fast and already consuming over 50 percent of the budget." — Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

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"The only real significance of the president's budget is to serve as a legacy of his disastrous fiscal management over the last seven years." — Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

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"Now that the president has proposed his annual budget blueprint, the hard work begins in Congress to make sure we fund our priorities while holding the line on spending. The American people are increasingly tired of runaway government spending." — Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

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"With his final budget request to Congress, the president gave us more of the same. More promises, fewer dollars. More rhetoric, less investment in America." — Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.