http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-energy6feb06,1,6234328.story?coll=la-news-a_section&ctrack=1&cset=trueWASHINGTON — Under a 2005 energy bill signed by President Bush, an array of programs was promised more money.
But when Bush unveiled his new budget Monday, some of these programs — including energy assistance for low-income families and energy efficiency — lost out.
The promises of more federal dollars clashed with fiscal reality as a deficit-minded Bush sent his first budget to a Democratic-controlled Congress. The president's spending proposals are certain to provoke fights as energy policy moves back to prominence on Capitol Hill amid heightened concerns about global warming and U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Bill Prindle, acting executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, said Monday that the president's budget "sacrifices important efficiency programs."
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