Federal agencies should plan 2013 budgets that are at least 10 percent below discretionary spending levels for 2011, the Office of Management and Budget said Wednesday.
OMB Director Jack Lew issued the guidelines in a memo, outlining steps agencies should take to help the federal government achieve deficit reduction.
Lew instructed agencies to submit 2013 budget requests that are at least 5 percent below their 2011 spending levels, as well as identify cuts that could bring requests down 10 percent for 2013.
“I know this will be a difficult year,†Lew wrote. “But it will also offer an opportunity to make the hard decisions to invest where we can get the most done and pare back in other areas.â€
Agencies were also told to prioritize and “double down†on programs that provide opportunities for economic growth. Submissions should consider areas of duplication or overlap identified by the Government Accountability Office.
