So last night Trump released his fiscal budget for the 2018 year. And while this is basically the president’s wish list and not 100% what the final product will be, it’s important to take a look at it and see how it will impact us all.
Discretionary spending, in billions
Defense Spending
So of course, the big “winner” is defense funding, specifically the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
Defense Dept will see a $52 Billion Dollar increase (if their base $522 Billion dollar budget). Most of this funding will be earmarked for the war on ISIS and purchasing additional F-35 fighter jets.
Department of Homeland Security will get a 6.8% increase to hire more staff for the Trump administration mass deportation efforts. He is also asking for an additional $1.5 Billion now and 2.5 more in 2018 for his border wall (which is estimated to cost over 20 billion and yes- WE are paying for it)
What I don’t get is why we have to spend soooooo much on defense and military spending?We already spend more than the next 7 or 8 highest countries combined depending on which report you read. When we are fighting so much over the idea of providing health care to our poorest citizens, or if we could keep funding schools or the environmental cleanup efforts, and we are told we don’t have enough money, but then somehow we need to spend hundreds of Billions on military efforts, I just don’t get it.
Biggest cuts
Foreign Aid– The State Department and USAID will see a budget cut of 28% with the biggest cuts coming from climate change and cultural exchange programs.
Environmental Protection– The EPA will see its budget cut by 31`%, eliminating all climate change programs and trimming back core initiatives aimed at protecting air and water quality.
I am guessing this is what Trump means by making America great again
Energy– in an additional attack on the environment, the department of Energy will see a $120 million increase to try to restart the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump.
Transportation– Trump’s plan calls for Air Traffic controls to be taken out of the Department of transportation and into the private sector, we will see how that goes. They are all cutting the DOT budget by 13% and NASA by .8%Agriculture
Agriculture– Ag department will see a 21% cut to it’s budget
Education– The budget calls for a 13.5% cut (9Billion) the the Dept of Ed.
Within those cuts, there is a $169 million increase to the already $300 million for Charter Schools. $250 Million more for new Private School Choice Program Vouchers, which Trump hopes to eventually raise to $20 Billion through Tax Credits) and $1 Billion for Title 1 areas, but dedicated to promoting and increasing school choice in high poverty areas (ie more Charters)
Also proposed is an elimination of 2.5 Billion in supporting effective instruction, which helps get qualified teachers in high-need areas (through things like student loan repayment). Before and afterschool enrichments and tutoring through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers are cut as well as is the FSEO Grant program which provided 732 million to students in need at the college level. He also cut the TRIO and GEARUP programs which help low-income, 1st generation college bound students navigate middle and high school and apply for colleges.
HUD– cutting the “Meals on Wheels” program which provides nutrition and human contact to homebound seniors. This program costs about $3 million per year to run- to put that in perspective, that is the cost for tax payers for 1 weekend trip for Trump to go to Mar-A-Largo (which he has done 4 times weekends in a row to start his presidency) In fact, he has cost us more in weekend trips then the Obama family did for an entire year.
Elderly people voted overwhelmingly for President Trump – and this is how he’s choosing to repay them. In 2014, 10.2 million American seniors faced the risk of hunger – a staggering 15% of all elder Americans. Trump needs to be pouring money into “Meals On Wheels,” not taking an ax to it.
It is absolutely appalling that in the richest nation in the world, our seniors cannot live their golden years without worrying where their next meal is coming from. Trump’s budget priorities tell you all you need to know about how he really feels about the struggles of the American people.
President Trump has made it clear once and for all that he cares nothing for the American people who are unlikely to ever dine with him at Mar-A-Lago and is willing to send millions of the most vulnerable into food insecurity and poverty just so that he can funnel the public’s money into the pockets of defense contractors and the ultrawealthy
The Arts– Funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would be cut to zero under the proposal, and the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities would be eliminated entirely, the first time any president has proposed such a measure.
Even though a National Survey Confirms that PBS and Member Stations Are America’s Most Trusted Institution and an “Excellent” Use of Tax Dollars for 12th Consecutive Year
“Millions of Americans depend on their local public radio station for the fact-based, objective, public service journalism they need to stay informed about the world and about the news in their own communities. Public media serves the public interest with essential educational, news and cultural programming not found anywhere else, as well as vital information during local and regional emergencies. Federal funding is an essential ingredient to making this possible.”
Habitat for Humanity. Trump’s budget saves $35 million by closing the Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing program. This is money that goes to Habitat for Humanity and other charities that build and refurbish houses for poor people. But don’t worry ― according to the budget, nice rich people are already giving poor people all the housing help they need. “This program is duplicative of efforts funded by philanthropy and other more flexible private sector investments,” the document declares.
People who want to be nurses. Say goodbye to $403 million in training for health professionals and nursing programs. (not like we are having a nursing shortage coming or anything)
Trump’s recently complained that the country’s finances were a mess, and he promised to cut government waste and get the government’s finances cleaned up. If President Trump is serious about cutting government waste, his first move should be to stop taking needless trips to his winter vacation home at taxpayer expense.
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly promised not to cut Social Security or Medicare. “I can confirm to you that the president’s going to keep the promises he made with regard to those programs,” Mulvaney told reporters.Trump also repeatedly promised not to cut Medicaid. The health care bill he is currently pushing would slash the program by $880 billion, taking away health insurance for millions of Americans.
A series of Tweets from Joe Scarborough @JoeNBC
This is more of the same Washington idiocy: 1. Slash spending that cripples investments in our country 2. Explode America’s crippling debt.
Entitlements+Pentagon+Debt Interest=85% of the budget That part of the budget INCREASES under Trump ALL cuts come from 15% of budget.
Entitlements explode, Pentagon spending explodes, interest on the debt explodes. Their growth is unsustainable and UNTOUCHED by this budget!
But funding for schools, roads, cancer research, medical breakthroughs, safeguards for clean drinking water, clean air, food safety all cut!
When will Washington do it’s job and save Social Security and Medicare, improve schools, invest in R&D, build roads & balance the budget?
That won’t happen without real entitlement reform, rational Pentagon spending, and growing parts of the budget that would yield big results.
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