President Bush’s FY 2006 budget released this morning, requests $430.4 million for the educational and cultural exchange programs at the Department of State, an increase of $74.46 million over the $355.9 million level enacted in FY 2005. While Congress appropriated $360.75 million for FY 2005, an across the board recession applied to programs in the Commerce-Justice-State appropriations legislation resulted in a funding level of $355.9 million for exchanges. The amount requested by President Bush for FY 2006 is $85 million above last year’s budget request of $345.346 million. The President’s overall budget for FY 2006 cuts discretionary spending other than defense and homeland security by nearly one per cent, eliminating or severely cutting back on as many as 150 domestic programs.