Despite the momentum in Washington to cut spending, President Obama's fiscal 2012 proposed budget includes a significant increase in funding for mine safety.

Last April's deadly explosion at West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine sharpened the administration's focus on worker safety at the nation's mines, and the numbers reflect that priority.

While the president is proposing to cut the Department of Labor's overall budget, he's requesting a $19 million increase for the Mine Safety and Health Administration. His budget plan calls for $384 million in discretionary budget authority for MSHA, compared to the 2010 actual appropriated level of $365 million. That's also an increase from his 2011 budget proposal, which requested $361 million for MSHA.

"The budget provides funding to continue the backlog-reduction efforts and makes key improvements in the capacity of the Mine Safety and Health Administration to enforce safety and health laws," according to the budget text.

The proposed budget includes more money for whistle-blower protections.

Not all federal mine-related activities were spared cuts in Obama's fiscal blueprint. The president proposes cutting the Office of Surface Mining within the Department of the Interior. He's asking for $146 million, compared to the $163 million actual 2010 level. Still, despite the cuts, the proposal reflects the administration's plan to tighten environmental oversight of mining.

"The budget mitigates the environmental impacts of mining by dedicating and prioritizing funds to clean up abandoned mines and by strengthening the regulation of active coal mining," according to the document.

The president's budget will be challenged on Capitol Hill, especially by House Republicans. They have already made their intention clear that mine worker safety should be on the chopping block, despite the Upper Big Branch disaster. They are proposing some mining-related cuts in their fiscal 2011 continuing resolution released Friday, which would fund the government for the rest of this fiscal year. Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) released a blueprint with a $1.5 million cut for MSHA and an $18 million cut for clean coal technology development.