President Donald Trump’s long awaited budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, which begins this October, was released May 23. Obviously there are critics on the Democratic side of things, but Republicans are also not too happy with the large amount of cuts the budget call for in programs that many Americans utilize to survive.
In a previous blog post we announced that Trump planned to cut Medicaid, a health insurance program for the poor, by $800 billion over the next 10 years. That was just one major cut to essential programs ordinary people rely upon as outlined by Trump’s budget. The budget also calls for $250 billion worth of cuts over the next 10 years for programs such as food stamps; the food program for women; infants and children; health insurance for low-income children and other welfare programs.
Trump also wants large cuts to science, medical research, environmental protection and the prevention of disease. At the same time Trump wants to increase defense spending by $54 billion. Trump’s grand plan is to save $1.2 trillion through these cuts and claims that he will usher in 3 percent growth in the economy as a way to balance the budget. Most lawmakers asked about the Trump budget said 3 percent growth was overly optimistic.
As you might expect, Democrats have said Trump’s budget is a non-starter with them in Congress, but Republicans are joining in voicing some similar concerns.
John Cornyn, (R-Texas), who is the second-leading member of his party in the Senate called Trump’s budget “dead on arrival,” according to a story reported by NBC News.
Although Trump wants to increase defense spending, he also wants a 29 percent ($54 billion) cut to the State Department budget, which Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-South Carolina) said would only create more security concerns.
“This budget is not going to go anywhere,” Graham said.
Obviously the president does not determine the budget and can only veto or approve budgets that are passed by the Congress. It is unlikely that anything close to Trump’s proposal will be passed by Congress.
