President Bush is advocating wide-ranging reforms to control government spending in anticipation of a budget proposal he is due to submit to Congress next week.
Mr. Bush said in his weekly radio address Saturday that pro-growth economic policies, such as maintaining tax relief, are vital to balancing the federal budget.
The president said a priority of his budget proposal is continued funding for "the global war on terror." Mr. Bush plans to ask Congress for more than $240 billion to cover the cost of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the next two fiscal years.
The president also said the country must address "the unsustainable growth" of government-funded health and pension programs. Mr. Bush warned that these programs will be costly to future generations. But, he did not detail a specific solution.
Mr. Bush also called for Congress to pass the line-item veto. It would give the president the right to cut certain provisions from spending bills without vetoing the entire measure.
