"I've proposed a freeze in government spending for three years.  This won't apply to the benefits folks get through Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare.  And it won't apply to our national security -- including benefits for veterans.  But it will apply to all other discretionary government programs.  And we're not simply photocopying last year's budget; freezing spending does not mean we won't cut what doesn't work to pay for what does.  We have gone through every department's spending line by line, item by item, looking for inefficiency, duplication, and programs that have outlived their usefulness."  President Obama, February 1, 2010.