Should Congress approve the White House's new budget?
via AP

Should Congress approve the White House's new budget?

#ApproveTrumpBudget
#RejectTrumpBudget
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The Trump Administration just released a budget proposal that includes a down payment for a border wall and increases spending on defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security—while cutting funds for the EPA, State Department, and many other agencies. Supporters are hailing this move as the big-government spending cuts we need. Critics say it doesn't save taxpayers money—it just transfers funding from science, the arts, and the poor to the military. What do you think?

THE VOTES ARE IN!
#ApproveTrumpBudget
10.8%
#RejectTrumpBudget
89.2%

As a presidential candidate, Trump promised to rein in unnecessary government spending and rebuild our military—and President Trump is delivering on those promises with this budget. By cutting State Department funding and increasing defense spending, the White House sends a clear message: the Trump Administration will prioritize defense spending over diplomacy and foreign aid. Mick Mulvaney, Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, described the proposal as a "hard power budget" in a Wednesday briefing:

"This is a hard power budget and that was done intentionally. The President very clearly wants to send a message to our allies and our potential adversaries that this is strong power administration."

But critics are aghast at cuts that could devastate some America's most vulnerable populations—children, seniors, and the poor. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney met with serious backlash when he disparaged federal programs that give food aid to low-income kids and Meals On Wheels, which brings food to homebound seniors. Detractors say we simply cannot take food away from hungry Americans to spend on our military or a border wall.

Many people applauded this budget and want to see it approved by Congress. Mick Mulvaney described it as a "true America first budget." Millions of Americans see funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Environmental Protection Agency, climate change research, and the United Nations as wasteful, even ridiculous spending that does not put American interests first:

The president made no apologies for eliminating the government’s efforts to curb climate change: “We’re not spending money on that anymore,” Mr. Mulvaney told reporters at the White House. “We consider that a waste of your money to go out and do that.” 

Mr. Mulvaney waved aside questions about cuts to the United Nations, saying that they “should come as a surprise to no one who watched the campaign.” 

Others are already condemning these cuts as literally taking food from the hungry and spending it on war.

Not to mention cuts to science, the arts, medical research, the environment... critics are calling this budget an immoral reordering of American priorities that will weaken us as a nation.

And even conservatives pointed out it doesn't cut spending at all.

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