[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[February 4, 1991]
[Pages 97-99]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Congress Transmitting the Fiscal Year 1992 Budget
February 4, 1991

To the Congress of the United States:
    I am pleased to present the Budget of the United States Government 
for Fiscal Year 1992.
    The budget is consistent with the 5-year deficit reduction law 
enacted last fall. It recommends discretionary spending levels that fall 
within the statutory caps for defense, international, and domestic 
discretionary programs. It implements the entitlement savings and 
reforms enacted in the Budget Agreement. It conforms to the new pay-as-
you-go requirements.
    By holding the overall rate of growth of Federal Government spending 
to approximately 2.6 percent--below the inflation

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rate--the budget puts into effect the concept of a ``flexible freeze,'' 
which is an essential means of bringing the budget into long-term 
balance.
    The longest period of peacetime economic expansion in history has 
been temporarily interrupted. We can, however, return to growth soon--
and proceed on the path to a new era of expansion. With that goal in 
mind, the budget places special priority on policies that will enhance 
America's potential for long-term economic growth, and that will give 
individuals the power to take advantage of the opportunity America 
uniquely offers.
    To this end, I am again proposing tax incentives to increase savings 
and long-term investment.
    On the spending side of the budget, the existence of a cap on 
domestic discretionary outlays rightly creates a competition for 
resources. Priorities must be set. This budget proposes that domestic 
investment be increased in the following key areas:
    Education and Human Capital.--The budget proposes investments to 
prepare children better for school, to promote choice and excellence in 
our educational system, to improve math and science education, and to 
increase the access of low-income Americans to higher education.
    Prevention and the Next Generation.--The budget includes proposals 
to help reduce illness and death from preventable diseases, and to 
reverse the long-term trend of underinvestment in children.
    Research and Development and the Human Frontier.--The budget 
recommends an increase of $8.4 billion in the Federal investment in 
research and development, with special emphasis on basic research, high 
performance computing, and energy research and development. It proposes 
to extend permanently the tax credit for research and experimentation to 
encourage private sector R&D investment. In addition, the budget 
reflects the Administration's continued commitment to expanding human 
frontiers in space and biotechnology.
    Transportation Infrastructure.--The budget supports an expansion of 
the Federal Government's investment in highways and bridges to over $20 
billion within 5 years, and proposes substantial increases to improve 
the condition of the Nation's airports, to modernize the air traffic 
control system, and to continue to develop the transportation 
infrastructure for exploration and use of space.
    America's Heritage and Environmental Protection.--The budget 
includes increased funds for the expansion and improvement of America's 
treasury of parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other public lands; 
for the implementation of the Clean Air Act and other key environmental 
statutes; for the cleanup of pollution at various Federal facilities and 
at Superfund sites; and for protection and enhancement of coastal areas 
and wetlands.
    Choice and Opportunity.--The budget provides: funds to help give 
parents greater choice in child care, health care, education, and 
housing; the resources to allow all Americans, especially those with low 
incomes, to seize the opportunities that such choice provides; and a 
proposal to establish Enterprise Zones to bring hope to our inner cities 
and distressed rural areas.
    Drugs and Crime.--The budget further increases the Administration's 
investment in drug prevention, treatment, and law enforcement. And the 
budget substantially increases the resources available to help the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation fight crime, the Federal prosecutors 
prosecute criminals, and the Federal prison system accommodate those 
convicted of crimes.
    To make such investments possible, the budget includes 
recommendations to terminate or reduce Federal investment in certain 
low-return programs, and proposes reforms to slow the continuing growth 
of mandatory entitlement programs and to increase fairness in the 
distribution of the benefits these programs provide.
    In addition, the budget contains a new proposal to fund various 
programs now carried out by the States through a comprehensive block 
grant. The States are continuing to develop new and innovative ways to 
deliver services more effectively. The budget not only highlights 
several of these innovations; it proposes to reinforce and build upon 
them.
    The budget contains several proposals

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that reflect my commitment to managing government better. These include 
measures to improve accountability, to reduce waste, to reform 
regulation, to employ risk management budgeting in addressing threats to 
health and safety, and to set clear objectives and measure performance 
in meeting them.
    Finally, consistent with the statutory caps enacted last year, the 
budget provides the resources necessary to maintain national security, 
and to better advance American interests abroad. As the budget goes to 
press, the timing of the resolution of the multinational coalition's 
efforts to reverse the aggression in the Persian Gulf is uncertain. For 
this reason, the budget reflects only a placeholder for Operation Desert 
Shield. A supplemental request for the incremental costs of Desert 
Shield, which includes Desert Storm, will be forwarded to the Congress 
in the coming weeks.
    The priority investments embodied in this budget will help America 
prepare for the requirements and opportunities presented by a rapidly 
changing world. I look forward to working with the Congress in 
developing a budget that lays the groundwork for a brighter future, 
protects our national interests, and helps create the conditions for 
long-term economic growth and prosperity.

February 4, 1991

                                                             George Bush

                    Note: The President's message was printed in the 
                        report entitled ``Budget of the United States 
                        Government, Fiscal Year 1992.'' It was not 
                        issued as a White House press release.