Trump’s Budget Includes Needed Spending Cuts

Thursday, March 16, 2017

President Trump’s first budget was released this morning and it includes some much-needed cuts in federal spending.

The budget calls for spending reductions in virtually every agency except for Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs.

And it specifically calls for the elimination of a number of small, independent agencies, including:

  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting
  • Legal Services Corporation
  • National Endowment for the Arts
  • National Endowment for the Humanities, and
  • Overseas Private Investment Corporation

You can find the White House budget summary here.

While this budget is only a blueprint that must be approved by Congress and while it only covers annual discretionary spending, its proposed reductions are a major step in the right direction.

If we are ever going to balance the budget and create real economic growth, we must cut federal spending.

We expect Democrats in Congress to oppose these cuts along with many big-spending Republicans.

In fact, a senior aide to GOP leadership on Capitol Hill said the President’s budget is “a joke… we’ve learned not to listen to anything he says or does. We’re on our own.”

One of the biggest areas of disagreement with the GOP establishment is the president’s plan to cut foreign aid, which includes cuts to funding for the United Nations and the World Bank.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Trump’s proposed cuts to foreign aid would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he opposes the cuts.

They are wrong and should either be forced to change their position or answer to their constituents. They either stand with Donald Trump on this or with Nancy Pelosi.

With your help, we will work to enact these and other spending cuts to help balance the budget, fund true priorities, and encourage economic growth that benefits all Americans.

As the appropriations process begins, we will keep you informed of key developments and let you know which members you can call to move things in the right direction.