[Text/Observer Network Chen Sijia] According to a May 1 report by the US Wall Street Journal, the US government is about to release the budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year, outlining Trump's spending and political priorities. Multiple government officials revealed on May 1 that it is expected that Trump will significantly reduce expenditures in areas such as the environment, renewable energy, education, and foreign aid, cutting up to $163 billion in non-defense discretionary spending.
US government officials said that Trump's budget proposal will cut projects he deems "wasteful," encourage states to take back ownership of some projects, and reduce funding for climate and green energy initiatives. An official familiar with the budget proposal revealed that the proposal will also cancel some federal grants approved during the Biden administration, urging states and local governments to increase their financial contributions.
According to these officials, Trump's proposal will continue his existing political agenda, aiming to eliminate what he calls the "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) agenda, canceling the Biden administration's clean energy goals, plans, grants, and research funding.
The report cited officials' messages stating that Trump's budget proposal will propose $557 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, which will be approximately $163 billion less than the estimated spending for the 2025 fiscal year (expected to end on September 30 this year), equivalent to a reduction of 22.6%.
Non-defense discretionary spending is part of the federal funds that must be reauthorized annually. It includes funds used by the US government for education, transportation, public health, and other fields, but does not include Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security expenditures, or defense spending.
On April 30, local time, Trump held a cabinet meeting Visual China
The budget documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal show that the White House proposed to significantly cut programs at agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Education, National Institutes of Health, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The report gave examples, stating that Trump's cuts will include reducing $80 million from renewable energy projects within the Department of the Interior, cutting $2.5 billion from renewable energy programs at the Department of Energy, cutting $5.2 billion from the National Science Foundation, canceling grants to NOAA, canceling funding from the Environmental Protection Agency for NGO research, and canceling $15 billion allocated in Biden-signed infrastructure bills for renewable energy technologies.
It is expected that Trump will also significantly cut expenditures on US foreign aid programs, including canceling funding for the National Endowment for Democracy, closing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), reallocating its funds, and canceling US investments in global funds helping developing countries address the impacts of climate change.
In addition, according to officials in the Trump administration, Trump will propose increasing funding for border security, defense, aviation and rail safety, veterans, and law enforcement. Bloomberg News reported on May 1 that it is expected Trump will propose a record-breaking $1.01 trillion national security budget, accounting for approximately 3.2% of US gross domestic product (GDP).
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that it is expected that the Trump administration will submit the budget proposal to the US Congress on May 2, Eastern Time. Trump's proposal is also known as the "瘦身 proposal" (slimming proposal). In a large extent, it represents a symbolic wish list of the Trump administration, listing the president's key agenda, but is not as comprehensive as the full budget that the government will release later in May.
Billionaire Elon Musk-led "Department of Government Efficiency" previously claimed that the agency will cut $150 billion in spending starting from the next fiscal year on October 1.
The Trump administration is attempting to cut government spending through layoffs, closing parts of government agencies, etc. However, an article published by Politico on April 29 stated that the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Budget Model, which monitors US Treasury data weekly, estimates that there has been no substantial reduction in US government spending during Trump's first 100 days in office.
The model shows that during these 100 days, US government spending actually increased by about 6.3%, or approximately $156 billion year-over-year. Kent Smetters, the head of the model, said that even when accounting for inflation, federal government spending still increased by $81.2 billion compared to the previous year.
This article is an exclusive piece by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499853788270952996/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Feel free to express your stance by clicking the 'like/dislike' buttons below.