President Obama "intends to propose a three-year freeze in spending that accounts for one-sixth of the federal budget -- a move meant to quell rising voter concern over the deficit but whose practical impact will be muted," the Wall Street Journal reports.
"The freeze would affect $447 billion in spending, or 17% of the total federal budget, and would likely be overtaken by growth in the untouched areas of discretionary spending. It's designed to save $250 billion over the coming decade, compared to what would have been spent had this area been allowed to rise along with inflation."
Washington Post: "While the freeze would shave no more than $15 billion off next year's
budget -- barely denting a deficit projected to exceed $1 trillion for
the third year in a row -- White House officials described it as a
critical part of a broader deficit-reduction campaign intended to
restore confidence in Obama's ability to control the excesses of
Washington."