President Bush on Tuesday signed a big increase in the Pentagon's non-war budget, and vetoed a spending measure for health and education programs prized by congressional Democrats.

The president's action was announced on Air Force One as Bush flew to Indiana for a speech expected to criticize the Democratic-led Congress on its budget priorities.

The $471 billion defense budget gives the Pentagon a 9 percent increase, roughly $40 billion.

"The same president who is asking us to spend another $200 billion on the misguided war in Iraq and is insisting on providing $60 billion in tax cuts next year to folks who make over a million bucks a year, is now pretending to protect the deficit by refusing to provide a $6 billion increase to crucial domestic investments in education, healthcare, medical research and worker protections that will make this country stronger,’’ said [Obey].

"That is not responsible and it is not credible,’’ Obey said of the vetoed bill. "There has been virtually no criticism of its contents. It is clear the only reason the president vetoed this bill is pure politics."