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A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 11 February 2020
Trump's $4.8 trillion budget proposal revisits rejected cuts

By ANDREW TAYLOR to dramatically slash fund- Environmental Protection borrow 22 cents of every states, such as an increase
Associated Press ing for overseas military op- Agency and taking about dollar it spends. The White to $250 million to restore
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- erations to save $567 billion $900 billion out of Medic- House plan proposes $4.4 Florida's Everglades and a
dent Donald Trump un- over 10 years but adds $1.5 aid over a decade are also trillion in spending cuts over move to finally abandon
veiled a $4.8 trillion election trillion over the same time nonstarters on Capitol Hill, the coming decade. a multibillion-dollar, never-
year budget plan on Mon- used nuclear waste dump
day that recycles deep, that's political poison in Ne-
previously rejected cuts vada.
to domestic programs like The Trump budget also
food stamps, Medicaid, promises a $3 billion in-
and housing as the recipe crease — to $25 billion —
for wrestling the federal for NASA in hopes of return-
budget back into balance. ing astronauts to the moon
Trump's fiscal 2021 plan and on to Mars. It touts a
promises the government's beefed-up, 10-year, $1 tril-
deficit will crest above $1 lion infrastructure propos-
trillion only for the current al, but $800 billion of that
budget year before steadi- comes through existing
ly decreasing to more man- surface transportation pro-
ageable levels, but only by grams. It contains a modest
relying on optimistic eco- parental leave plan cham-
nomic projections, dramat- pioned by first daughter
ically scaled-back military Ivanka Trump and includes
operations overseas, and $135 billion in savings over
proposed cuts to agency the coming decade as part
budgets that run directly of an unspecified set-aside
opposite to two previous to tackle the high cost of
budget deals signed by prescription drugs this year.
Trump. President Donald Trump's budget request for fiscal year 2021 arrives at the House Budget Trump's U.S.-Mexico border
The budget "sets the course Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. wall would receive a $2 bil-
for a future of continued Associated Press lion appropriation, more
American dominance and than provided by Congress
prosperity," Trump said in a frame to make his 2017 tax but both the White House Trump's reelection cam- but less than the $8 billion
message accompanying cuts permanent law. and Democrats are hope- paign, meanwhile, is fo- requested last year. Trump
the document. Trump's proposal would cut ful of progress this spring on cused on the economy has enough wall money on
"There is optimism that was $465 billion from Medicare prescription drug prices. and the historically low job- hand to build 1000 miles
not here before 63 million providers such as hospi- The Trump budget is a blue- less rate while ignoring the (1,600 kilometers) of wall, a
Americans asked me to tals, which prompted howls print written under Wash- government's red ink. senior administration official
work for them and drain from Democrats such as ington rules as if he could Ever since his days as a said, most of it obtained by
the swamp," Trump said. former Vice President Joe enact it without congres- presidential candidate, exploiting his budget trans-
"For decades, Washington Biden, who said it "eviscer- sional approval. It relies on Trump has been promis- fer powers. The official re-
elites told us that Ameri- ates Medicare," while top rosy economic projections ing a health care plan. The quested anonymity to dis-
cans had no choice but to Senate Democrat Chuck of 2.8% economic growth budget repeats that prom- cuss the budget before it is
accept stagnation, decay, Schumer of New York said this year and 3% over the ise but offers few details. It made public.
and decline. We proved Trump is planning to "rip long term — in addition lays out a "health reform The reduced wall request
them wrong. Our economy away health care from to fanciful claims of future vision" that calls for better could ease the way for
is strong once more." In a millions of Americans" with cuts to domestic programs care at lower cost and pro- action on appropriations
White House appearance, cuts to Medicare and the — to show that it is possible tecting people with preex- bills in the GOP-held Sen-
Trump said, " Medicaid health program to bend the deficit curve in isting medical conditions. ate, where a fight over last
The plan had no chance for the poor. the right direction. Trump has also signed two year's far larger wall request
even before Trump's im- Trump's GOP allies gener- The economy grew by 2.1% broader budget deals stalled work on the annual
peachment scorched ally issued only faint praise if last year and Congress worked out by Democrats spending bills for months.
Washington. Its cuts to food commenting at all. Senate spent much of the past and Republicans to get rid Trump has proposed mod-
stamps, farm subsidies, sub- Budget Committee Chair- decade reversing agency of spending cuts left over est adjustments to eligibility
sidized housing for the poor, man Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., spending cuts imposed by from a failed 2011 budget for Social Security disability
Medicaid and student called it "just a list of sug- a failed 2011 budget pact. accord. The result has been benefits, and he's proposed
loans couldn't pass when gestions" while top House That sleight of hand en- eye-popping spending lev- cuts to Medicare providers
Republicans controlled Budget Committee Repub- ables Trump to promise to els for defense — to about such as hospitals, but the
Congress, much less now lican Steve Womack of Ar- whittle down a $1.08 tril- $750 billion this year — and real cost driver of Medicare
with liberal House Speaker kansas took aim at its rosy lion budget deficit for the significant gains for domes- and Social Security is the
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., set- predictions of economic ongoing budget year and tic programs favored by ongoing retirement surge
ting the agenda. growth and lower interest a $966 billion deficit gap Democrats. Trump's new of the baby boom genera-
Trump's budget follows a rates, both of which help in the 2021 fiscal year start- budget essentially freezes tion and health care costs
familiar formula that ex- Trump's budget add up. ing Oct. 1 to $261 billion in defense at current levels that continue to outpace
empts seniors from politi- Trump's budget would also 2030. Balance would come while proposing a 3% mili- inflation.
cally toxic cuts to Medicare shred last year's hard-won in 15 years. The reality is that tary pay hike. With Medicare and Social
and Social Security while budget deal between the no one — Trump, the Dem- The White House hasn't Security largely off the ta-
targeting benefit safety net White House and Pelosi by ocratic-controlled House done much to draw atten- ble, Trump has instead fo-
programs for the poor, do- imposing an immediate 5% or the GOP-held Senate — tion to this year's budget re- cused on Medicaid, which
mestic programs like clean cut to non-defense agency has any interest in tackling lease, though Trump has re- provides care to more than
energy and student loan budgets passed by Con- a chronic budget gap that vealed initiatives of interest 70 million poor and dis-
subsidies. It again proposes gress. Slashing cuts to the forces the government to to key 2020 battleground abled people. q