President Obama's proposed 2011 federal budget is a mixed bag for Texas -- eliminating oil tax breaks and cutting NASA's man-to-the-moon project, but it does include new education funding.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, criticized the massive spending in the budget -- and the loss of energy tax breaks, which he believes will hurt business and industry in Texas.

"The president has been talking a good game when it comes to government spending, but there is a dramatic disconnect between his rhetoric and his actions. Just last week he called for a spending freeze, then today he releases a budget containing the largest deficit in U.S. history, that doubles the debt in five years, and triples it by 2019.

"The budget does include some positive proposals like tax cuts for small businesses and increasing of the child care tax break for middle-class families," he said. "But also buried in the 1,420-page document is a dizzying array of hidden taxes."

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, meanwhile, spoke out sharply against the proposed cancellation of NASA's Constellation project for human space flight, which would affect Houston's Johnson Space Center.

"The president's proposal to end NASA's human space flight program is misguided and extremely disappointing," said Cornyn. "A nation's global status and dominance has always depended on its leadership in the human exploration of new frontiers."

Cornyn vowed to work to defeat Obama's bid to end the moon program.

Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, also blasted the spending proposed in the budget, calling it a "blueprint for an expansion of unchecked government spending, increased taxes, and more added to our country's already unsustainable deficit -- precisely the opposite of what is needed."

According to the budget document, the proposed blueprint would affect Texas by providing:

Tax cuts for 8.4 million families.

$5 billion for schools, students, and teachers.

$4.2 billion to fix and expand the state's network of roads and highways, modernize airports, and expand water and sewer infrastructure.

$2.5 billion in new funding for Pell Grants to help families pay for college.

$1.5 billion for housing assistance.

Local officials weren't concerned that Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision project received no money in the budget, because Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, has managed to win funding for the massive flood control and economic development project through appropriations bills. It has never been included in a president's proposed budget, officials said.

"The construction phase of Trinity River Vision is both under way and on-time," said Granger. "This project will continue to be funded because it addresses the critical needs of our community's future including flood protection, job creation, inner-city restoration, and environmental clean-up."


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