Your question is really broad. Not all Republicans are bad or unkind people; some just tend to see the world as a zero-sum game.
The budgetary figures are meant to scare. The first thing to do is to put the figures in perspective - One Million, One Billion Dollars! sounds like a lot to people because they tend to think in terms of their own spending habits(cars, designer sunglasses, 3 bedroom house, etc.) The relevant number is the percentage of the GDP the proposed budget cut represents. The Energy Star Program of $52 million, trivial in relation to GDP, may lead to large potential savings in the future. Never underestimate emergent properties.
I know a guy who is 60-ish, office manager, and a Republican. He is always complaining about funding for arts or libraries or whatever that he can't individually justify. I have mentioned to him that I have never been to or heard of a popular museum dedicated to great office managers, notable general contractors, super salesmen or other typical white-guy professions. This provokes dirty looks from him. There is very little lasting value in most of these professions.
BTW: After older people rant about something out of their control, it is considered rude to to say "How much longer do you plan on living anyway?" or "Where you're going, you won't need money!(i.e. 6 feet underground)".