Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Wednesday he expects Obama's budget proposal to include "draconian" cuts, blaming Congress for failing in its duties to create jobs and boost the economy.
"I know bad news is coming. I think that anybody who saw both the deal last summer and then the failure of the 'supercommittee' to do anything to resolve this stalemate, if you will, knew that there were going to be serious and draconian cuts," said Villaraigosa at a breakfast sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor Wednesday.
During the first three years of his administration, Obama was able to suggest spending levels for government programs in his annual budget blueprint. However, this year he is constrained to a $1.047 trillion spending cap that was agreed upon with GOP leaders in August in order to raise the federal debt ceiling.
Top White House officials have warned liberal and labor leaders to brace for the likely cuts in discretionary spending.
Villaraigosa told reporters that because of Congress's inaction on both sides of the aisle, he foresaw the potential budget constraints.
"To that extent we had a heads-up. Look, we're here because we expect the Congress to do their job. It's not enough to say that this is a presidential season, that they didn't do anything last year, so they won't do anything this year," he added.
Most budget negotiation details have been kept secret, but it appears the administration is giving Democrats some warning. The budget will be submitted to Congress early next month.
The Los Angeles mayor accused Congress of remaining deadlocked and failing to create jobs.
"It's incumbent on us to put pressure and put a light on a Congress that has been an abysmal failure," he said. "They've played, you know, in this football season, punt and block politics. It seems that anything the president proposes they've rejected. They don't seem to have a plan of their own except to cut."
Villaraigosa said he agrees that government spending needs to be reduced, but believes that there must be investments as well.
