In a new budget blueprint expected to be presented to Congress this week, Trump has followed through on his promises to increase spending on the military and police by $100 billion over the next 18 months. In order to do this, the blueprint also allocates less money to education, poverty alleviation, science, and health.
If implemented, this blueprint will have detrimental effects on many aspects of our society.
The future of our education system already looks bleak with Betsy DeVos as the DOE’s secretary, but possible cuts in funding would directly impact the nation’s public schools. Teachers will be paid less, textbooks and supplies won’t nearly be as good, and extracurricular activities could largely disappear.
Programs to assist those living in poverty will also be directly affected if Trump’s plan is enacted, augmenting the divide between the economic classes. Do we really want to live in a society in which the poor have no way of climbing out of the circle of poverty?
Science and health are also mentioned in Trump’s crazy spending proposal. In a time where science is crucial in the battle against climate change, the very world we live on will suffer as a result of spending cuts. As US inhabitants, we must realize that this effects everyone on the Earth, not just us.
Although none of this is truly a surprise, it is unlikely that this proposal will pass Senate and House Republicans, who call instead for cutbacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which use the most money from the federal budget.
Senate and House Democrats have made clear that they will not allow Trump’s or the Republican majority’s skewed priorities to be implemented. Representative Nita M. Lowey from New York assured that Democrats will “fight tooth and nail to protect services and investments that are critical to hardworking American families and communities across the country.”
