When President Donald Trump recently sent his vision of the annual budget to Congress, he may as well have lit the fuse of a bomb.
Faced with radical socialists joining the “resist and obstruct” Democrats in the U.S. House, the White House is readying for fights on spending cuts and border wall funding. The irreconcilable differences between the Trump Administration and left-wing extremists in Congress have already resulted in two government shutdowns. Another shutdown looms as both sides sharpen their knives.
The president has asked for $8.6 billion in border wall funding that includes $5 billion for ongoing construction and $3.6 to replenish discretionary military spending he leveraged to fund current wall builds.
“I would just say that the whole issue of the wall, of border security, is of paramount importance,” White House economic guru Larry Kudlow reportedly said. “We have a crisis down there. I think the president has made that case very effectively.”
The administration has called for cuts to agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department among others. The president’s vision also asks for a $750 billion uptick to continue rebuilding a U.S. military that had fallen grossly behind under former President Barack Obama.
All told, the Trump Administration is calling on Congress to begin the trend toward fiscal responsibility in the form of $2.7 trillion in reductions over the next decade. Since the 9/11 Attacks and financial collapse, the federal debt has sailed past $22 trillion. The White House’s somewhat ambitious goal is to have America out of debt and enjoy a balanced budget in 15 years. With socialist Democrats such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) proclaiming herself “the boss” of the party, the possibility of bipartisan reconciliation appears non-existent.
“Just last year we gave the military a $700 billion budget increase, which they didn’t even ask for,” AOC said. “They were like, we don’t want another fighter jet! Don’t give us another nuclear bomb. They didn’t even ask for it. And we gave it to them.”
Although the upstart Congresswoman has repeatedly been called out for overplaying her hand with such false and misleading statements, her sentiments resonate with the left’s extremist wing and presidential hopefuls.
A particularly stinging point in the president’s vision is the imposition of work requirements for those receiving government assistance. The number of people applying for welfare has declined significantly under the America First policies that have the country at full employment. Still, millions take taxpayer-funded benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid and housing programs among others. Democrats simply cannot stand for leveraging people off of welfare.
“This is not a serious proposal. President Trump should work with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to reach a bipartisan budget agreement, so we can begin the fiscal year 2020 appropriations process,” Vermont Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy reportedly said. He also claimed the president’s budget is “divorced from reality.”
But data indicates that there are currently more jobs available than unemployed Americans. The Trump Administration, led by Ivanka Trump, has been working diligently with the private sector to bridge the training gap and get everyday people the skills they need in today’s market.
The Trump budget requires that people 18-65 who secure welfare benefits either put in 20 hours of paying work or community service. It would mean an end to freeloaders milking the system at the taxpayer’s expense. Such mandates appear to be deal-breakers for Democrats who are pushing for freebies and guaranteed salaries for those who don’t work regardless of ability. It’s Venezuela all over again.
But budget experts disagree with the Democrats priorities now, and during the Obama Administration, that is overwhelmingly responsible for the untenable national debt.
“In the last two years, President Trump and his Administration have prioritized reining in reckless Washington spending. The Budget that we have presented to Congress and the American people . . . embodies fiscal responsibility and takes aim at Washington’s waste, fraud, and abuse,” Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russ Vought reportedly said. “Our national debt nearly doubled under the (Obama) Administration and now stands at more than $22 trillion. This Budget shows that we can return to fiscal sanity without halting our economic resurgence while continuing to invest in critical priorities.”
Led by AOC and other liberals, Democrats would rather add upwards of $92 trillion in debt to fund their so-called Green New Deal. It’s going to get ugly, and another government shutdown remains on the table.
~ Patriotic Freedom Fighter
