Trump to slash foreign aid in 'hard power' budget plan

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will propose drastic cuts to America's foreign aid and environmental programs in a security-heavy first budget blueprint to be released Thursday, reports AFP.
In a plan designed to translate bold campaign promises into dollar-and-cent commitments, the Republican leader will propose a 28 percent cut in State Department funding.
That could be a harbinger of steep reductions in foreign aid and funding to UN agencies, with knock-on effects around the world.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking in Tokyo, said he would "willingly" accept Trump's challenge to tighten the budget.
"Clearly the level of spending that the State Department has been undertaking is unsustainable," Tillerson said at a press conference.
"We are going to be able to do a lot with fewer dollars," he said.
Tillerson acknowledged that this would not be easy, but said that the State Department "is coming off a historically high allocation of resources."
The Pentagon will be the major winner in the budget, with a nearly 10 percent boost -- shoveling more cash toward a defense budget already greater than that of the next seven nations combined.
Separately, around $4 billion will be earmarked this year and next to start building a wall along America's border with Mexico.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Mexico will pay for that wall -- which will cost at least $15 billion, according to estimates by Bernstein Research, a consulting firm.
Trump's broad-brush proposal covers only a small fraction of the $3.8 trillion federal budget -- which is dominated by healthcare, pension and other baked-in costs.
The text will be heavily revised and fleshed out by Congress, before a full budget is released around May.
In that sense, the plan is as much a political statement as a fiscal outline: a fact not lost on the White House.
"This is a hard-power budget, it is not a soft-power budget" said White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney.
Mulvaney, a former congressman, said he trawled through Trump's campaign speeches for inspiration.
The budget is a signal to Trump's supporters that he is a "man of action" and not a "typical politician."
Trump is looking to rally his base amid multiple controversies including his Twitter outbursts, Russian meddling in the election that brought him to power and a simmering rift with Congressional Republicans over healthcare reform. According to Gallup, Trump has approval ratings of 40 percent, a low for any modern president weeks into his tenure.
But security has been a major vote winner. An Economist/YouGov poll found that 51 percent of Republicans believe the United States will be safer from terrorism at the end of his term.

 

Trump to slash foreign aid in hard power budget plan

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will propose drastic cuts to Americas foreign aid and environmental programs in a security-heavy first budget blueprint to be released Thursday, reports AFP. In a plan designed to translate bold campaign promises into dollar-and-cent commitments, the Republican leader will propose a 28 percent cut in State Department funding. That could be a harbinger of steep reductions in foreign aid and funding to UN agencies, with knock-on effects around the world. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking in Tokyo, said he would willingly accept Trumps challenge to tighten the budget. Clearly the level of spending that the State Department has been undertaking is unsustainable, Tillerson said at a press conference. We are going to be able to do a lot with fewer dollars, he said. Tillerson acknowledged that this would not be easy, but said that the State Department is coming off a historically high allocation of resources. The Pentagon will be the major winner in the budget, with a nearly 10 percent boost -- shoveling more cash toward a defense budget already greater than that of the next seven nations combined. Separately, around $4 billion will be earmarked this year and next to start building a wall along Americas border with Mexico. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Mexico will pay for that wall -- which will cost at least $15 billion, according to estimates by Bernstein Research, a consulting firm. Trumps broad-brush proposal covers only a small fraction of the $3.8 trillion federal budget -- which is dominated by healthcare, pension and other baked-in costs. The text will be heavily revised and fleshed out by Congress, before a full budget is released around May. In that sense, the plan is as much a political statement as a fiscal outline: a fact not lost on the White House. This is a hard-power budget, it is not a soft-power budget said White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney. Mulvaney, a former congressman, said he trawled through Trumps campaign speeches for inspiration. The budget is a signal to Trumps supporters that he is a man of action and not a typical politician. Trump is looking to rally his base amid multiple controversies including his Twitter outbursts, Russian meddling in the election that brought him to power and a simmering rift with Congressional Republicans over healthcare reform. According to Gallup, Trump has approval ratings of 40 percent, a low for any modern president weeks into his tenure. But security has been a major vote winner. An Economist/YouGov poll found that 51 percent of Republicans believe the United States will be safer from terrorism at the end of his term.