WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today issued the following statement on President Trump’s irresponsible budget that cuts non-defense priorities from student aid to the State Department by $1.6 trillion over the next ten years, yet still adds at least $7.1 trillion to the debt:

“This budget blueprint is a disaster.  The Trump Administration is using the same phony accounting it did when it claimed that a $1.5 trillion tax bill would pay for itself or that Mexico would pay to build a border wall.

“The President talks about a big infrastructure program, but most of that money is state, local, and private dollars that would be spent anyway.  And the federal share?  That will largely be offset by the large cuts to the TIGER program and other discretionary grants at the Department of Transportation and other agencies.

“According to the President’s own budget the unsound and unfair Trump tax bill is driving up the deficit at an alarming rate.  But instead of curbing the tax bill’s loopholes and giveaways, he wants to slash non-defense funding by about 20 percent.

“This budget would eviscerate clean air and clean water investments, cancel after school programs, cut student financial aid for college, and zero out programs like LIHEAP energy assistance for vulnerable families and seniors.  It would also eliminate the Economic Development Agency and Community Development Block Grants, which help communities invest in infrastructure and services such as Meals on Wheels.

“The budget also calls for repealing the Affordable Care Act and massive Medicaid cuts that would cause millions of people to lose their health care and shift a heavier burdens onto cities, towns, and states.

“The President’s budget would discontinue support for small businesses, manufacturing initiatives, and job training.  And the Trump health cuts would be particularly devastating for self-employed entrepreneurs.

“And once again, President Trump wants to cut funds for diplomacy and international engagement.  He should start listening to his own national security experts who warn that the loss of this type of soft power undermines U.S. security. 

“The Trump budget would be harmful to the American people, our economy, and our national security and should be resoundingly rejected by Congress.  In fact, the budget framework signed into law last Friday was a bipartisan repudiation of the tack the Trump Administration has taken in the budget proposal submitted today."