Schatz: Trump’s ‘Cruel’ Budget Is ‘Dead On Arrival’
Hirono, Gabbard and Hanabusa are also trashing the president’s proposals that they say听favor the rich over the most vulnerable.
The Trump administration’s proposed budget, , was thoroughly denounced by members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation.
Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee,听labeled it 鈥渄ead on arrival.鈥澨
鈥淧resident Trump鈥檚 budget proposal is not just radical, it鈥檚 cruel,” Schatz said in a press release. “But make no mistake 鈥 this budget is dead on arrival. When the administration tried to cut these programs for this fiscal year, we didn鈥檛 let it happen. This time is no different.”
The Trump proposal, according to Schatz’s office, would cut more than $1 trillion from programs “critical to families in Hawaii and across the country.” They include听迟丑别听Native Hawaiian Education Act Program,听Planned Parenthood and the听National Park Service.
Rep.听Tulsi Gabbard warned that the Trump听plan “puts the health and safety of the most听vulnerable in our country听at risk with massive cuts to government programs that spur economic growth and provide critical services.”
Gabbard identified some of the same worrisome cuts as Schatz did. They include these:
- $610 billion in cuts to Medicaid that serves over 348,000 people in Hawaii;
- $191 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that serves over 170,000 people in Hawaii; and
- $72 billion in cuts to the Social Security鈥檚 disability program, which serves over 19,000 辫别辞辫濒别听濒辞肠补濒濒测.
The congresswoman also pointed to $40.4 billion in cuts to the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which she said assists “one in eight Hawaii keiki living in poverty.”
Rep. Gabbard speaking听out against the budget on the House floor:
And Rep. Colleen Hanabusa said she had some of the same concerns as her听Democratic colleagues.
“President Trump clearly hasn’t listened to the people as his FY18 Budget is a reincarnation of his skinny budget, reflecting his complete disregard for the elderly, sick, disabled and working families,” Hanabusa said in a press release.
She听also singled out听other concerns:
- decreasing听the State Department budget by 28 percent听and eliminating all funding for the East-West Center and Asia Foundation; 听
- cutting听the Environmental Protection Agency budget by 30 percent, “loosening protections on the air we breathe, water we drink and the climate we leave for future generations”;
- reducing听Federal Emergency Management Agency grants to state and local governments by $767 million and eliminating听the Flood Hazard Mapping and Risk Analysis Program; and听
- ending听funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which assists in funding the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio.
Sen. Mazie Hirono called Trump’s proposals “dangerous.” She noted that zero funding would go to things like听the听Essential Air Service program for听air transportation to Kalaupapa and Kamuela.听
In a press release Hirono听promised, “I will fight tooth and nail in opposition to these dangerous and devastating cuts to programs Hawaii families depend on every day.鈥
Even some GOP senators at the budget plans of the Republican president.
