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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 8 July 2017

Budget battle:

White House hopes to eliminate some federal agencies

By JOSH BOAK tal cleanup program for
AP Economics Writer the Great Lakes.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Mulvaney said in the memo
Trump administration aims that spending reductions
to further tighten its grip on are necessary to achieve
spending, issuing a memo annual economic growth
Friday that calls for eliminat- of 3 percent. Most econo-
ing some federal agencies mists say the United States
and cutting government will struggle to grow much
jobs as part of the upcom- faster than 2 percent a
ing fiscal 2019 budget. year due to baby boom-
Office of Management and ers retiring and relatively
Budget Director Mick Mul- low productivity gains. But
vaney wrote in the memo Trump has promised to re-
to agency and depart- store growth to the aver-
ment heads that the goal age previously seen in the
is “ensuring that the federal half-century after World
government spends pre- War II. The memo for fiscal
cious taxpayer dollars only 2019 is an initial step for a
on worthwhile policies.” He budget the White House
added that the 2019 bud- would propose early next
get would be a “compre- year. Mulvaney said that
hensive plan” to reduce agencies should plan to
the number of government Budget Director Mick Mulvaney speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the spend at the levels pro-
workers and merge or ter- White House complex in Washington. The Trump administration aims to further tighten its grip on posed in the 2018 budget
minate federal agencies as spending, issuing a memo Friday that calls for eliminating some federal agencies as part of the during fiscal 2019. Fiscal
requested by an executive upcoming fiscal 2019 budget. 2018 begins Oct. 1, and fis-
order signed in March by (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) cal 2019 would get under
President Donald Trump. aid, food stamps and stu- Congress, which is writing Trump had turned against way Oct. 1, 2018. Agency
The guidance follows on dent loan subsidies, among legislation to fund govern- his own supporters in the heads are allowed to sub-
the spirit of Trump’s 2018 other programs. Even Re- ment agencies and de- industrial Midwest and ru- mit requests for additional
budget proposal initially publican lawmakers called partments. ral counties. The budget 5 percent in funding levels
outlined in March. That the cuts draconian and The White House budget reduced funding for infra- that would be applied to
blueprint would sharply re- have said the proposal was plan also gave ammunition structure, small regional air- “effective programs,” the
duce spending for Medic- unlikely to survive intact in to Democrats who said that ports and an environmen- memo said. q

Attorney General Jeff Sessions
visits Guantanamo Bay prison

By SADIE GURMAN that the threat to our na-
Associated Press tion is immediate and real,
WASHINGTON (AP) — and it remains essential
Attorney General Jeff Ses- that we use every lawful
sions visited Guantanamo tool available to prevent
Bay on Friday in a show of as many attacks as pos-
support for the prison he sible,” Prior said. Even as an
has called a “perfectly ac- Alabama senator, Sessions
ceptable” place to detain has long been a vocal sup-
new terrorism suspects, as porter of the continued use
opposed to holding them of Guantanamo and its
in the U.S. and having his military commissions, call-
own Justice Department ing it a “very fine place for
try them in civilian courts. holding these kind of dan-
Sessions traveled to the gerous criminals.”
military detention facility in “We’ve spent a lot of mon-
Cuba with his deputy, Rod ey fixing it up,” Sessions told
Rosenstein, and National the conservative radio talk
Intelligence Director Dan show host Hugh Hewitt in a
Coats, to gain “an up-to- March interview.
date understanding of cur- “And I’m inclined to the
rent operations,” Justice view that it remains a per-
Department spokesman fectly acceptable place.
Ian Prior said. And I think the fact is that
It was Sessions’ first trip a lot of the criticisms have
there since becoming at- just been totally exagger-
torney general. ated.” But he has not pub-
“Recent attacks in Europe licly announced any policy
and elsewhere confirm on the prison’s future.q