WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is releasing a $1.5 trillion wish list for the federal budget. He’s asking for an 8.4% increase in discretionary spending with substantial gains for education, health care, housing and environmental protection. The request issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget spells out Biden’s top priorities as Congress weighs its spending plans for next year. It’s the first financial outline of the Democrats’ broader ambitions since the expiration of a 2011 law that capped discretionary spending. An administration official says that law caused an underinvestment in needed programs.
