The $4.4 trillion budget proposed by President Donald Trump falls short when it comes to fiscal responsibility, Northwest Florida congressman Matt Gaetz said Monday.
Despite the steep cuts in domestic spending proposed by Trump, the budget would significantly increase defense spending, adding a projected $7 trillion to the U.S. deficit over the next decade.
The proposed budget would slash funding for health programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Funding for public broadcasting would be cut by 95% under Trump’s plan, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget would be cut by more than a third. Gaetz has previously proposed eliminating the agency.
“President Trump’s budget shows his administration’s tremendous commitment to America’s national defense,” Gaetz said in a statement. “It provides robust funding for our military, including training, as well as a much-deserved pay raise for our troops. It helps protect America’s border from an influx of crime and drugs, by funding the border wall, hiring thousands of new ICE agents, and increasing the capacity and number of detention facilities for those who attempt to enter the country illegally.”
“But despite these positive steps forward, the budget falls short in fiscal responsibility,” Gaetz added. “This budget continues too much of Washington’s wasteful spending — it does not balance in ten years, and it creates a deficit of over a trillion dollars next year. We must do more to curb Washington’s terrible spending habits. We cannot steal from America’s future to pay for spending today.”
The proposed budget also earmarks $200 billion for infrastructure projects and allocated about $17 billion toward combating the nation’s epidemic of opioid abuse.
“I applaud the President for taking care of our troops, enhancing our national security, and keeping America safe,” Gaetz said. “Now Congress must work to keep America fiscally safe, and rein in America’s excessive mandatory spending.”
