Obama Administration Releases Budget Plan, But It's Dead On Arrival

Published February 9, 2016 at 1:13 PM EST

Eric Ueland of the Senate Budget Committee distributes copies of US President Barack Obama's Fiscal Year 2017 budget on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 9, 2016. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Although President Obama is ready to release his budget for the 2017 fiscal year, Congress has the final say on how the country’s money can be spent.

While the legislature can allocate more or less money to certain suggestions in the $4 trillion plan, Republicans in control of the Senate and the House have already said they’re not even considering the president’s proposal. One sign of this: the White House budget director was not invited to present the proposal for the first time in 40 years.

The president’s initiatives include a huge oil tax, Vice President Joe Biden’s “moonshot” to cure cancer, education and employment, and Medicaid expansion. NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley speaks with Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to discuss what’s next for the budget.

Guest

Scott Horsley, NPR White House correspondent. He tweets @HorsleyScott.