Bush's $2.9 trillion budget increases defense spending and cuts domestic programs.

The budget includes a record $481 billion for defense spending, a 12% increase, plus $245 billion for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Here at home, Bush's budget cuts $101 billion in Medicare and Medicaid funding, and would increase premiums for many Medicare enrollees.

It also limits funding for state Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) says the $5 billion proposed for CHIP would fund only one-third of those already enrolled.

Bush's budget cuts education, training, employment and social services grants by 8%, or nearly $5 billion.

The budget would increase Pell Grants, but pay for it by "reshuffling funds from several other grant programs for low-income students" and cutting subsidies to banks making student loans.

Bush would also cut funding for Head Start and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The budget proposes an $81 billion increase in federal fees, most notably an increase of fees paid by generic drug manufacturers seeking FDA approval (wonder what that's all about?). In the "good idea" fee increase catagory, the budget would increase Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation premiums paid by corporations to insure against pension plan defaults.

In the energy category, Bush's budget includes $385 million for clean coal research and $148 million for research to make "solar photovoltaic technology competitive with conventional electricity by 2015." There is also $179 million in biofuels research, which is a waste of taxpayer money in my opinion.

These meager proposals are dwarfed by the massive spending for securing nuclear stockpiles ($9.4 billion) and cleaning up hazardous nuclear waste ($5.6 billion). There is, however, a request for $4.4 billion for the American Competitiveness Initiative energy research program.

This article, while rather poorly written, is an otherwise good summary of Bush's environmental (and anti-environmental) budget proposals.

There was some good news for the National Park Service. Bush proposes a $230 million increase in funding, for a total of $2.4 billion. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will get more than 10% in additional funding with a $1.89 million increase, the largest ever.

Bush also proposes a $100 million per year increase in National Park System funding over the next ten years, which, coupled with "private funding", could provide up to $3 billion for sprucing up national parks in preparation for the system's 100 year anniversary. This could help with the Great Smoky Mountain's $180 million maintenance backlog.

Other winners and losers here.