White House Budget Proposal
Released March 16, 2017
Update: May 23, 2017
The White House released a new version of Trump’s budget which summarized spending priorities while maintaining the extreme EPA and DOE funding cuts detailed in this brief. LEARN MORE
Policy Summary
President Trump released his first preliminary budget, approximating budget changes for the 2018 fiscal year and showcasing the administration’s priorities. The proposed budget has severe implications for environmental and public health, calling for a 31 percent cut in the EPA budget, reducing funding for the Department of Energy, and targeting environmental protection funding in at least nine other federal departments. When asked about cuts to science and climate change research, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said: “the President was fairly straightforward — we’re not spending money on that anymore.” The president’s budget increases military spending by $54 billion and balances the federal deficit by decreasing spending for various programs across the board. LEARN MORE
Analysis
Budget cuts to the EPA would hamper the agency’s ability to protect clean air and water, to conduct research, and to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change and pollution on the country. The proposed budget plan discontinues all EPA funding for climate change-related efforts and the Obama administration’s signature Clean Power Plan (analyzed in depth here) which mitigates climate impacts and health risks from air pollutants by reducing carbon pollution from power plants. The plan also eliminates over 50 EPA programs, cuts research and development funding, and decreases funding for Superfund, the EPA program responsible for cleaning up sites contaminated with hazardous wastes. Department of Energy cuts eliminate research projects and loan programs that fund innovative renewables technology and restrict funding to laboratories which conduct research on renewables and energy efficient vehicles. Stanford environmental engineering professor Mark Jacobson worries that cuts to research funding will reduce American innovation and competitiveness, decreasing GDP. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- World Resources Institute – a global NGO committed to protecting the Earth, improving people’s lives, and creating prosperity through sustainable natural resource management.
- Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities – a research, policy, and advocacy organization of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and higher education organizations.
- Task Force on American Innovation – an alliance of business, universities and scientific societies supporting federally funded basic research in the physical sciences and engineering.
This brief was compiled by Conor Downey. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief, please contact conor@usresistnews.org.
