RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Even if Congress reaches a deficit-reduction agreement to avert the end-of-year "fiscal cliff," Gov. Bob McDonnell says some of the $130 million in state agency cuts recommended to him last week will appear in his amended budget.
McDonnell told journalists attending the 11th annual AP Day at the Capitol that he feels he has to include some of the suggestions state agency chiefs submitted for paring their own spending by 4 percent because less federal money is coming to Virginia.
The third-year governor said his budgeting has to be conservative and austere because even if the deep, automatic cuts to military and domestic spending are avoided before January, Virginia will be disproportionately affected by reduced federal support.
He says he won't approve many suggestions to cut aid to local governments.
