Yeah, but the problem is that you pretty much have to cut social security and the military, which are two things that can't be cut without unless you end your political career.
So what is left to do is to scramble for the peanuts, while trying to appear economically "though".
There are at least some bigger peanuts than trying to take a few nibbles out of the NSF budget ($7 billion) though. Like farm subsidies (~$20 billion), homeland security (~$45 b), or department of justice ($27 b). But I suppose I'm not surprised they didn't take on any of those, either.
So what is left to do is to scramble for the peanuts, while trying to appear economically "though".