A White House official says President Barack Obama will call for a five-year freeze in non-security, discretionary spending during his State of the Union address.
The official says the proposal will be part of the president's plans to reduce the deficit that he will outline in Tuesday's primetime address. The official says Obama will also call for lawmakers to back a five-year plan put forth by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to save $78 billion in defense spending.
"In areas outside the freeze, we also will be looking for cuts and efficiencies," a senior White House official told NBC News.
Obama is under pressure from the public and lawmakers to cut spending. Several Republican lawmakers have proposed cutting $100 billion from Obama's budget for the current year.
The move is almost identical to the freeze Obama called for in his address to the nation last year at this time — his current proposal would cover five years, not three years — and ultimately it may have little effect. Congress decides the budget on its own terms, and Obama has even less sway than he did in his first two years on the job now that Republicans have taken control of the House.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the president's speech.
NBC News' Chuck Todd contributed to this story.
