FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2008
Contact: OMB Communications, 202-395-7254

STATEMENT BY OMB DIRECTOR
JIM NUSSLE ON E-BUDGET

Washington, DC — In an effort to save taxpayer dollars and reduce unnecessary paper copies, I am pleased to announce the White House will release an E-Budget on Monday, February 4, 2008.

This step to go paperless for the first time means the White House will not order hard copy versions of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Budget, and will instead post the Budget online at www.budget.gov. The E-Budget will be fully searchable, available for downloading, and will continue a hallmark of the Bush Administration – greater transparency of federal spending.

With an estimated total of nearly 2,200 pages in the four-book budget set, and a projected order of more than 3,000 copies for the media, Capitol Hill and the White House, the E-Budget will have a “green” focus above and beyond the fiscal sense. This step will save nearly 20 tons of paper, or roughly 480 trees. In terms of fiscal savings, we estimate the E-Budget will save nearly a million dollars over the next five years.

Having an E-Budget also aligns well with the President’s E-Gov initiative, which focuses on utilizing technology to make the Federal Government more efficient and to improve transparency in order to better serve citizens, businesses and agencies alike.

The White House has made the decision to embrace an E-Budget, and we encourage others to make the same choice.

Background: Paper copies of the FY09 Budget can still be ordered from the Government Printing Office. www.gpo.gov

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