While the timeline for the markup and passage of FY 2011 appropriations bills remains uncertain, the Obama administration released two memos last week “setting guidelines for departments and agencies on their FY 2012 budget requests,” the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition reported. The memos underscore a “growing focus on reducing spending and the deficit”:

The first memo, signed by White House Chief of Staff Emanuel and OMB Director Orszag, asks all departments and agencies ‘to identify the programs and subprograms that have the lowest impact on [their] mission and constitute at least 5% of their budgets.’ The second memo, signed by Orszag, stipulates that all non-security agencies’ FY 12 budget requests (due to OMB by Sept. 13) must be at least 5 percent below the FY 11 request level.

USGLC notes that the International Affairs Budget (150 Account), classified as a part of national security funding, is not subject to this directive.