Trump budget offers harmful cuts, magical thinking

Where to begin?

President Trump’s budget proposal to Congress — helpfully titled “A New Foundation for American Greatness” in case the public and lawmakers need any convincing — is such a cluster bomb of idealogical cuts to progams, unnecessary tax benefits for the rich and magical thinking, it’s difficult to know where to start.

We got a glimpse earlier of what the president’s full proposal would look like in March when the White House’s “skinny” budget was released. It showed plans to increase military spending an additional $52 billion, add $4.4 billion to expand veterans health services, provide $2.8 billion for the border wall and other Homeland Security programs and divert $1.4 billion for charter schools, private school vouchers and other school choice initiatives. Those increases were paid for with damaging reductions for 19 other federal agencies and other programs, the deepest at the State Department and EPA.

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To list just a few lowlights:

Cuts to food assistance for low-income families and individuals, including the Women, Infants and Children program; the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as food stamps); and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.

Reduced availability of health services for women with elimination of Medicare reimbursements for non-abortion services provided by Planned Parenthood.

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