TRUMP BUDGET CUTS DOMESTIC SPENDING TO BUILD UP MILITARY
Deepest cuts would be felt in education and environment
President Trump’s first formal budget proposal to Congress, one of the most ambitious ever proposed, seeks to “redefine the proper role” of the federal government by dramatically reducing its involvement in many domestic areas while boosting investments in security.
The proposal, dubbed the “America First” budget by the White House, would increase defense spending by $54 billion and offset that with cuts to non-defense spending, the steepest of which would come from education, environmen-
“There is no question, this is a hard-power budget. ... That’s what our allies can expect. That’s what our adversaries can expect.” Budget director Mick Mulvaney
tal protection, health and human services and foreign aid.
The military would get more personnel, munitions, ships and fighters. “There is no question, this is a hard-power budget. It is not a soft-power budget,” said Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney. “And that was done intentionally. That’s what our allies can expect. That’s what our adversaries can expect.”
Under the blueprint scheduled for release Thursday, some agencies would be disbanded altogether, including those primarily responsible for supporting public broadcasting, legal aid and the arts.
Dozens of programs would be eliminated, including community development block grants, learning centers and low-income heating assistance.
The budget places a heavy emphasis on measurable results. The community development block grant program is not “well-targeted to the poorest populations and has not demonstrated results,” the budget says.
Programs supporting firsttime home buyers, state and local affordable housing initiatives and neighborhood revitalization would be zeroed out.
The budget “returns the responsibility ” for environmental initiatives to state and local entities, cutting about $400 million for regional projects at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Some of Trump’s domestic policy priorities would see increases, including school choice and charter school programs, and an additional $500 million would go to expand treatment, recovery and prevention of opiate abuse. There would be $2.6 billion for the proposed border wall and $314 million for immigration enforcement agents.
Mulvaney said budget staffers culled Trump’s campaign speeches and other material in putting together the budget.
“If he said it in the campaign, it’s in the budget,” he said. “We wanted to know what his policies were. And we turned those policies into numbers.”
The 2018 budget is for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Unlike full budget proposals, Trump’s blueprint does not include tax proposals, long-term deficit projections or detailed staffing levels for every agency. Those will come in a more detailed budget proposal in May, Mulvaney said.