WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Half of the roughly $17 billion of proposed spending cuts in U.S. President Barack Obama's budget for fiscal year 2010 derive from defense programs, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an early childhood education program known as "Even Start" and a long-range radio navigation system that has been made obsolete by GPS technology were also on the chopping block.
"This is an important first step but it's not the end of the process," the official told a conference call with reporters. "We will continue to look for additional savings."
The official said there were 121 "reductions, terminations, or other savings" in the budget proposal.
Obama, a Democrat, has faced criticism from Republicans as well as members of his own party over huge budget deficits. His 2010 budget, further details of which are to be released on Thursday, is expected to stay around $3.5 trillion. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Caren Bohan; Editing by Eric Walsh)