LOC22:37
19:37 GMT
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump submitted a USD 4.4 trillion budget proposal to Congress on Monday that would cut funds to domestic programs and boost defense spending.
The budget proposal for fiscal 2019 submitted to lawmakers, titled "Efficient, Effective, Accountable: An American Budget," sets forth Trump's priorities as Congress prepares to consider spending bills for the next fiscal year.
It calls for a USD 57 billion cut in domestic spending and entitlement programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and other government-funded social assistance programs, than earlier approved by lawmakers last week.
It also includes USD 21 billion for infrastructure spending and more than USD 23 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, plus USD 18 billion to pay for a massive border wall along the US-Mexico border. It also provides for USD 716 billion in spending on national defense programs and for maintaining the country's nuclear arsenal.
"Our military was totally depleted, and we will have a military like we've never had before. ... So we're going to have the strongest military we've ever had by far. We're increasing arsenals of virtually every weapon. We're modernizing and creating brand new -- a brand new nuclear force," Trump said.
In addition, the budget also includes USD 39.3 billion for critical State Department and US Agency for International Development (USAID) diplomacy and development efforts including USD 5.4 billion to protect US government personnel and facilities abroad, including security in Afghanistan and Iraq, and funding for the US embassy in Jerusalem, USD 6.4 billion in humanitarian assistance, up 21 percent from the 2018 fiscal year budget request, USD 1.4 billion in assistance to fight against corruption and support democratic governance abroad, as well as a proposed USD 150 million to modernize the State Department's information technology, according to the State Department.
Last week Congress passed a two-year budget deal, which was signed by the President, that boosts spending for both the military and domestic programs by nearly USD 500 billion over the next 10 years, complicating White House efforts to focus federal spending priorities.
White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney informed House Speaker Paul Ryan in a letter that Trump's budget proposal would seek to shift much of the domestic spending into defense and fixing "some longtime budget gimmicks" that have added to the nation's deficits.
The Presidential budget proposal is viewed by Congress as little more than a suggestion, is expected to draw criticism from Republican conservatives who worry about deficit spending. Government debt levels are projected to pass USD 25 trillion within the next six years. (end)
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