White House set to release first sketch of budget proposal on Friday

[April 08, 2021]    By Trevor Hunnicutt
 
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House will release a sketch of its budget plans on Friday, a spokesman said, offering a long-awaited glimpse into the U.S. administration's policy priorities.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 6, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Joe Biden's so-called "skinny" budget will offer a partial outline of the money the administration is requesting from Congress.

The document is expected to lay out which programs the White House wants Congress to fund as part of its annual "discretionary" spending for the 2022 fiscal year, according to budget office spokesman Rob Friedlander.

A full budget proposal is set to be announced later this spring.

White House officials said the process has been delayed because Biden's transition into office in January encountered resistance from political officials appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, the administration needed to settle competing interests over how much to spend on areas including the military.

Biden's initial pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, withdrew her nomination after difficulty winning Senate approval. The office serves as the gatekeeper for the $4 trillion federal budget. It is currently run by acting director Shalanda Young.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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