Trump’s ‘Skinny’ Budget Paves Way for a Leaner Government

From The Daily Signal.com (Mar. 16):

President Donald Trump’s long-awaited skinny budget is finally here.

This slim budget reprioritizes defense spending and reverses eight years of Obama-era shifts in spending from a core constitutional priority toward the president’s domestic pet projects. Federal agencies, beware: The era of fiscal profligacy may be coming to an end, and quickly.

Trump’s first budget plays a key role in the congressional budget process. This skinny budget is only part one. It focuses on the one-third of the budget for which Congress appropriates funding every year, called “discretionary” spending.

The president will reportedly issue his first full budget in May. In addition to discretionary spending, the full budget will include mandatory spending (the so-called entitlement programs) as well as a tax plan and other policy proposals.

Cuts to discretionary spending are critical to reducing the size and scope of the government and enhancing individual and economic freedom. They also make an important down payment toward the federal deficit and debt.

Trump’s proposal would cut nondefense programs in most agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (31 percent), the Department of State (29 percent), and the Department of Agriculture (21 percent).

Instead of across-the-board reductions such as the ones included in the 2011 Budget Control Act, the president’s proposal includes smart cuts to “drain the swamp” by weaning special interests from feeding unfairly from the federal trough.

……………………..

Overall, Trump’s budget proposes to cut nondefense discretionary programs by $15 billion in fiscal year 2017 and by $54 billion in fiscal year 2018. The proposal also aims to increase defense spending by $25 billion in fiscal year 2017 and $54 billion in fiscal year 2018.

It is encouraging that the proposal would fully offset any increase in next year’s defense spending with cuts to domestic programs. Worrisome, however, is that this year’s defense boost would only be partially offset, increasing discretionary spending in fiscal year 2017 by $10 billion.

Trump should set a positive precedent this year by offsetting any new spending with spending cuts elsewhere.  [read more]

Good for the President! Of course, the Left will call him a “Meany” for these cuts because they “believe” he is going to make people starve, etc. What else is new. Keep on cutting Mr. President!  Hopefully the republicans in Congress will get on board with the needed cuts.