In February President Obama released his fiscal year 2013 budget proposal, which includes $3.67 trillion in new budget authority. The president's budget includes $350 billion for job creation, the top budget priority for most Americans, according to a poll by The Hill newspaper. The second priority, according to the same poll, was for the president to cut spending. The new budget reduces federal spending by 3.7 percent, as compared to 2012. The president's budget is just a proposal, however. It will need approval from Congress to become law in fiscal year 2013, which begins on Oct. 1, 2012.
In this interactive analysis, National Priorities Project looks at all the budget numbers, the history behind them, and why the president's budget matters.