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Thompson on the President's FY2018 Budget

March 16, 2017

Washington – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05)—senior Member on the House Tax Subcommittee—released the following statement on the President's budget for fiscal year 2018:

"American families deserve a budget that prioritizes their health, safety, and well-being. Unfortunately, the President's budget outline slashes funding for medical research, affordable housing, infrastructure, disaster relief, and so much more.

"Our roads, bridges, and transit systems are not Democratic or Republican. They are American, and traditionally we have all come together to put Americans back to work by funding much needed repairs. Instead—as our infrastructure continues to crumble—the President proposed eliminating a Transportation Department that provides almost $500 million in road projects.

"Likewise, cancer, ALS, and other severe illnesses don't discriminate based on party. That's why we all have a responsibility to fund life-saving medical research. Even Newt Gingrich has called for robust funding of the National Institutes of Health. Instead, the President slashed its budget by nearly 20 percent.

"This proposal is narrow-minded and misguided. The President's budget would kill jobs at the EPA, hamstring our ability to negotiate overseas, and cut countless critical agencies. In return, billions of taxpayer dollars would go towards a pointless border wall. We can and should do better."

The President's budget outline includes proposals to:

  • Cut funding at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 30 percent, eliminating 50 programs and 3,200 jobs
  • Eliminate $35 million for Section 4 Affordable Housing
  • Cut funding at the State Department by 29 percent
  • Cut funding at the National Institutes of Health by nearly 20 percent
  • Cut $667 million from FEMA pre-disaster mitigation programs
  • Eliminate the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
  • Eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS)
  • Direct $4.3 billion towards building a border wall

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