During the Presidential campaign promised to provide jobs to the most vulnerable Americans. Ironically, it will be his support base that would suffer the most if his proposed budget passes. Many agencies and government funded programs that help many lower middle class Americans will be cut to provide the money for his proposed 54 billion dollar increase in military spending.
An example of a government funded program that will be significantly cut is the Highland Community Action Organization. Regina Feltner, a retired nurse who was in remission from Lung Cancer got a notice stating that her heat would be cut off in the middle of January. She was immediately helped by the Highland Community Action Organization. According to a New York Times article, the assistance came in the form of subsidy delivered by the Highland Community Action Organization from the federal government. The cut of this organization shows how out of touch President Trump is.
Among the cuts in the plan is a six billion dollar decrease in funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to Sheryl Braxton, a New York City resident that residents in public housing projects, there are more mold, water and garbage issues than ever before. Some of these water problems include lead being found in drinking water. Trump's response to these problems: cut the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is responsible for solving problems in housing projects all over the country.
The most heartless of all of his cuts is that of the Community Block Grant program, which funds non profits such as Meals on Wheels. Homebound seniors throughout the country depend on Meals on Wheels for food. It is unfathomable that the President of the United States thinks that an increase in military spending is more important than feeding seniors who are too week to go to the supermarket and get their own food.
For a perspective from the Republican Party I asked Graham Wood '20 what he thought of these cuts. When I told him that Trump was cutting Meals on Wheels he was in utter disbelief. He actually asked me "Is that what he is really cutting?" as to say how can anyone with a sliver of decency actually cut Meals on Wheels? How is that even considered an option? This is not an issue regarding fiscal policy. It is a debate between right and wrong. He also recognized that our country is in a lot of debt right now but "increasing military spending by 54 billion dollars is unnecessary, and that money should not be coming for programs like Meals on Wheels." It is now clear that this in an issue that transcends party lines and America must fight against a budget plan that puts the most vulnerable Americans at risk.