President Donald Trump proved Monday he cares not a fig for balancing the budget. That’s the upshot of his budget for 2019, which calls for a 10 percent increase in overall spending, up $984 billion to a $4.4 trillion budget.
Not that we needed any more evidence, after he approved $1.5 trillion in tax breaks in December and $500 billion in new spending as recently as last week.
In the run-up to the tax reform vote, Mr. Trump touted the tax cuts would result in a $16 billion surplus in 10 years. On Monday, the White House reversed course, projecting tax revenues for 2018 will be $314 billion lower and another $400 billion lower for 2019.
This sets the United States on a trajectory of a $1.7 trillion budget deficit for the next 10 years — a level not seen since the 2009 recession.
But never you mind. We’ll have an additional $716 billion in annual defense spending, as well as an additional $18 billion, a 25 percent increase, for the border wall between the United States and Mexico. Now, don’t you feel better?
To be fair, some highlights exist, such as the $85.5 billion boost to veterans’ services and programs as well as that pledged to combat opioid addiction and address our crumbling infrastructure.
Meanwhile, $237 billion in cuts will be “necessary.” Those at the top are to Medicaid, food stamps, agricultural subsidies, Medicare and Social Security, despite Mr. Trump’s campaign pledge to hold the latter two sacred. Also on the chopping block are science-related programs covered by the Office of Science and Technology and the Environmental Protection Agency. Together, the two agencies could see a loss of $3.2 billion. Long a denier of global warming, Mr. Trump’s budget eliminates all funding for climate-change research.
“AN AMERICAN Budget,” is how Mr. Trump describes a spending plan that saddles future generations with unprecedented debt, cuts essential services and programs for the poor and elderly, and sets us back on preserving this beautiful Earth.
With such priorities, Mr. Trump is neglecting our most precious resources — our people and planet.
That doesn’t sound very American.
— Susan Lynn
