Republican Lawmakers Aren’t in Love With Trump’s Budget
Republican lawmakers are lining up in opposition to big portions of President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget, which was unveiled this week. Some Republicans in the House and Senate say cuts to certain programs go too far. Even increased spending to typical Republican priorities like defense drew criticism for falling short. These are the parts of Trump’s plan Republican lawmakers have been most vocal about.
Farm Bill Crop Insurance
–$29.2B
over 10 years
“Production agriculture is in
the worst slump since the
depression—50 percent drop in the net income for producers. They need this safety net.”
—Rep. Mike Conaway, Texas-11
“It’s just a lot of people who don’t know what the hell is going on in farm country.”
—Sen. Pat Roberts, Kan.
“The proposed cuts to ag
programs, which make up only 0.26 percent of the entire
federal budget, are particularly concerning to me.”
—Rep. Roger Marshall, Kan.-1
“Cuts to programs like crop insurance, Conservation
Reserve Program and
agriculture research are
unacceptable, especially when our farmers and ranchers face challenges due to low
commodity prices.”
—Sen. John Hoeven, N.D.
“I believe some of the cuts requested—particularly the drastic cuts aimed at the federal crop insurance program—are misguided and fail to address the biggest drivers of debt in our country.”
—Rep. Kevin Cramer, N.D.-AL
State Department
–$11.5B
in 2018
“A lot of Benghazis in the making if we actually implemented the State Department cuts. So this budget is not going to go
anywhere.”
—Sen. Lindsey Graham, S.C.
“I think the diplomacy part of what we do overseas is a lot cheaper than the use of the military and frequently has a pretty good return on
investment.”
—Sen. Mitch McConnell, Ky.
National Institutes of Health
–$5.8B
in 2018
“This budget is good on the
military, terrible on other things like the NIH.”
—Sen. Lindsey Graham, S.C.
“I do not support proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health.”
—Sen. Pat Toomey, Pa.
Gulf of Mexico Energy
Security Act (GOMESA)
–$3.6B
over 10 years
“Taking funding away from Louisiana’s coastline is a nonstarter.”
—Sen. Bill Cassidy, La.
EPA’s Geographic Programs
(includes Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative)
–$427M
in 2018
“We won the fight to restore full funding for GLRI for this fiscal year, and I will continue to help lead the effort in the Senate to do so again next year—just like I did when President Obama proposed cutting the program.”
—Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio
“Many of the proposed cuts to important domestic programs that many Michiganders rely on are, frankly, non-starters.”
—Rep. Fred Upton, Mich.-6
Department of Health
and Human Services
–16.2%
in 2018
Community Development
Block Grant
–$3.0B
in 2018
Several Republicans vocally opposed cuts to Meals on Wheels, the food delivery program for homebound Americans, though there is no single line-item for the program. It relies on a mix of local, state and federal funding through the Department of Health and Human Services and Community
Development Block Grants, which would be eliminated under Trump’s budget.
“Like I want to go home after having voted against Meals on Wheels and say, ‘That’s a bad program—keeping seniors alive’?”
—Rep. Mike Simpson, Idaho-2
“Meals on Wheels, even for some of us who are considered to be fiscal hawks, may be a bridge too far.”
—Rep. Mark Meadows, N.C.-11
Southern Nevada Public
Lands Management Act
–$230M
over 10 years
Yucca Mountain and
Interim Storage Programs
+$120M
in 2018
“From slashing funding for important public lands programs to its renewed effort to revive the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, the president’s budget request contains several anti-Nevada provisions.”
—Sen. Dean Heller, Nev.
Department of Defense
+$49B
in 2018
“After years of budget cuts amid growing threats around the world, this budget request fails to provide the necessary resources to restore military readiness, rebuild military capacity and renew our military advantage with investments in modern capabilities.”
—Sen. John McCain, Ariz.
U.S.-Mexico border wall
+$1.6B
in 2018
“I thought Mexico was going to pay for the wall. Why is this in our budget?”
—Rep. Fred Upton, Mich.-6
Farm Bill Crop Insurance
–$29.2B
over 10 years
“Production agriculture is in the worst slump since the depression—
50 percent drop in the net income for producers. They need this safety net.”
—Rep. Mike Conaway, Texas-11
“It’s just a lot of people who don’t know what the hell is going on in farm country.”
—Sen. Pat Roberts, Kan.
“The proposed cuts to ag programs, which make up only 0.26 percent of the entire federal budget, are particularly concerning to me.”
—Rep. Roger Marshall, Kan.-1
“Cuts to programs like crop insurance, Conservation Reserve Program and agriculture research are unacceptable, especially when our
farmers and ranchers face challenges due to low commodity prices.”
—Sen. John Hoeven, N.D.
“I believe some of the cuts requested—particularly the drastic cuts aimed at the federal crop insurance program—are misguided and fail to address the biggest drivers of debt in our country.”
—Rep. Kevin Cramer, N.D.-AL
State Department
–$11.5B
in 2018
“A lot of Benghazis in the making if we actually implemented the State Department cuts. So this budget is not going to go anywhere.”
—Sen. Lindsey Graham, S.C.
“I think the diplomacy part of what we do overseas is a lot cheaper than the use of the military and frequently has a pretty good return on investment.”
—Sen. Mitch McConnell, Ky.
National Institutes of Health
–$5.8B
in 2018
“This budget is good on the military, terrible on other things like the NIH.”
—Sen. Lindsey Graham, S.C.
“I do not support proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health.”
—Sen. Pat Toomey, Pa.
Gulf of Mexico Energy
Security Act (GOMESA)
–$3.6B
over 10 years
“Taking funding away from Louisiana’s coastline is a nonstarter.”
—Sen. Bill Cassidy, La.
EPA’s Geographic Programs
(includes Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative)
–$427M
in 2018
“We won the fight to restore full funding for GLRI for this fiscal year, and I will continue to help lead the effort in the Senate to do so again next year—just like I did when President Obama proposed cutting the program.”
—Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio
“Many of the proposed cuts to important domestic programs that many Michiganders rely on are, frankly, non-starters.”
—Rep. Fred Upton, Mich.-6
Department of Health
and Human Services
–16.2%
in 2018
Community Development
Block Grant
–$3.0B
in 2018
Several Republicans vocally opposed cuts to Meals on Wheels, the food delivery program for homebound Americans, though there is no single line-item for the
program. It relies on a mix of local, state and federal funding through the
Department of Health and Human Services and Community Development Block Grants, which would be eliminated under Trump’s budget.
“Like I want to go home after having voted against Meals on Wheels and say, ‘That’s a bad program—keeping seniors alive’?”
—Rep. Mike Simpson, Idaho-2
“Meals on Wheels, even for some of us who are considered to be fiscal hawks, may be a bridge too far.”
—Rep. Mark Meadows, N.C.-11
Southern Nevada Public
Lands Management Act
Yucca Mountain and
Interim Storage Programs
+$120M
in 2018
–$230M
over 10 years
“From slashing funding for important public lands programs to its renewed effort to revive the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, the president’s budget request contains several anti-Nevada provisions.”
—Sen. Dean Heller, Nev.
Department of Defense
+$49B
in 2018
“After years of budget cuts amid growing threats around the world, this budget request fails to provide the necessary resources to restore military readiness, rebuild military capacity and renew our military advantage with investments in modern capabilities.”
—Sen. John McCain, Ariz.
U.S.-Mexico border wall
+$1.6B
in 2018
“I thought Mexico was going to pay for the wall. Why is this in our budget?”
—Rep. Fred Upton, Mich.-6
Farm Bill Crop Insurance
“Production agriculture is in the worst slump since the depression—
50 percent drop in the net income for producers. They need this
safety net.”
—Rep. Mike Conaway, Texas-11
–$29.2B
over 10 years
“It’s just a lot of people who don’t know what the hell is going on in farm country.”
—Sen. Pat Roberts, Kan.
“The proposed cuts to ag programs, which make up only 0.26 percent of the entire federal budget, are particularly concerning to me.”
—Rep. Roger Marshall, Kan.-1
“Cuts to programs like crop insurance, Conservation Reserve Program and agriculture research are unacceptable, especially when our
farmers and ranchers face challenges due to low commodity prices.”
—Sen. John Hoeven, N.D.
“I believe some of the cuts requested—particularly the drastic cuts aimed at the federal crop insurance program—are misguided and fail
to address the biggest drivers of debt in our country.”
—Rep. Kevin Cramer, N.D.-AL
State Department
–$11.5B
in 2018
“A lot of Benghazis in the making if we actually implemented the State Department cuts. So this budget is not going to go anywhere.”
—Sen. Lindsey Graham, S.C.
“I think the diplomacy part of what we do overseas is a lot cheaper than the use of the military and frequently has a pretty good return on investment.”
—Sen. Mitch McConnell, Ky.
National Institutes of Health
–$5.8B
in 2018
“This budget is good on the military, terrible on other things like the NIH.”
—Sen. Lindsey Graham, S.C.
“I do not support proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health.”
—Sen. Pat Toomey, Pa.
Gulf of Mexico Energy
Security Act (GOMESA)
–$3.6B
over 10 years
“Taking funding away from Louisiana’s coastline is a nonstarter.”
—Sen. Bill Cassidy, La.
EPA’s Geographic Programs
(includes Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative)
–$427M
in 2018
“We won the fight to restore full funding for GLRI for this fiscal year, and I will continue to help lead the effort in the Senate to do so again next year—just like I did when President Obama proposed cutting the program.”
—Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio
“Many of the proposed cuts to important domestic programs that many Michiganders rely on are, frankly, non-starters.”
—Rep. Fred Upton, Mich.-6
Several Republicans vocally opposed cuts to Meals on Wheels, the food delivery program for homebound Americans, though there is no single line-item for the
program. It relies on a mix of local, state and federal funding through the
Department of Health and Human Services and Community Development Block Grants, which would be eliminated under Trump’s budget.
Department of Health
and Human Services
–16.2%
in 2018
“Like I want to go home after having voted against Meals on Wheels and say, ‘That’s a bad program—keeping seniors alive?’”
—Rep. Mike Simpson, Idaho-2
Community Development
Block Grant
–$3.0B
in 2018
“Meals on Wheels, even for some of us who are considered to be fiscal hawks, may be a bridge too far.”
—Rep. Mark Meadows, N.C.-11
Southern Nevada Public
Lands Management Act
“From slashing funding for important public lands programs to its renewed effort to revive the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, the president’s budget request contains several anti-Nevada provisions.”
—Sen. Dean Heller, Nev.
–$230M
over 10 years
Yucca Mountain and
Interim Storage Programs
+$120M
in 2018
“After years of budget cuts amid growing threats around the world, this budget request fails to provide the necessary resources to restore military readiness, rebuild military capacity and renew our military advantage with investments in modern capabilities.”
—Sen. John McCain, Ariz.
Department of Defense
+$49B
in 2018
U.S.-Mexico border wall
+$1.6B
in 2018
“I thought Mexico was going to pay for the wall. Why is this in our budget?”
—Rep. Fred Upton, Mich.-6