A New Era of Responsibility

"There are the years that come along once in a generation," writes President Barack Obama in his introductory message to his 2009 budget for the United States of America, "when we look at where the country has been and recognize that we need a break from a troubled past, that the problems we face demand that we begin charting a new path." This governmental report is Obama's comprehensive plan for moving past the "legacy of misplaced priorities" he inherited from the Bush administration in order to jumpstart the U.S. economy and invest for the nation's future. From the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Veteran Affairs, from the literally down-to-earth business of the EPA to the spacebound mission of NASA, here Obama lays out his concrete, pragmatic strategy to move American schools into the 21st century, improve health care while reducing it costs, repair crumbling infrastructure, and rebuild the American economy. Any American who wants to be informed about the most fundamental operations of the nation will want to study this important report. The United States OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET is a Cabinet-level office established in 1921 for the White House oversight of federal agencies. The OMB is currently headed by American economist PETER RICHARD ORSZAG (b. 1968).