Report: Spending cuts hit anti-Obama states more
There seems to be a pattern to federal budget cuts during the Obama administration, according to a new report.
Reuters says that, during fiscal years 2009-2013, red Republican states saw a drop of 40% in a series of discretionary grant programs.
These programs dropped by 25% in Democratic states like California and swing states like Ohio.
"Though Congress sets overall spending levels, the Obama administration determines where much of that money ends up. Lawmakers also have curtailed their ability to direct money to their home states when they adopted a ban on spending in 2011 known as 'earmarks.'
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"That has given administration officials more power to steer money to places that might return the favor with votes, said John Hudak, an expert on federal spending at the centrist Brookings Institution who worked with Reuters on the analysis."
Said Hudak: "In the context of the Obama administration, swing states and blue states are doing better than red states ... I would suggest these numbers would tell us there is politicization going on."