Trump’s Budget, Human Needs, and the Military-Industrial Complex
By Jason Sibert
Human needs took a big cut in President Donald Trump’s recent budget.
But Trump was certainly kind to the military-industrial complex. The proposed budget included $726 billion in defense spending, more than half of overall discretionary spending and 15 percent of the overall budget. In 2019, our country spent more than the next 11 countries combined.
Trump’s proposed budget has alarmed advocates of affordable housing. It cut a slew of affordable housing programs to the bone. In addition to cutting funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, the budget called for changes in programs that provide housing assistance for low-income citizens – $8.6 billion in cuts for housing programs.
Healthcare also took a hit in this budget, as it cuts Medicare by $750 billion and Medicaid and other healthcare assistance programs by $844 billion. Since Trump took office in 2017, nearly 2 million Americans have lost health coverage. Food security also has a low priority in the proposed budget. It would kick 3.7 million Americans off food stamps. Research and development marks another area targeted for reduction – funding for the National Institutes of Health was reduced to $3 billion. The NIH funds research on diseases like cancer that kill millions.
The environment was also given the shaft in the proposed budget. The Environmental Protection Agency would be cut by 26.5 percent. Many diseases are caused by environmental factors, so the decision will impact healthcare spending.
What’s the impact of the proposed budget on education? The proposed budget would cut $170 billion from federal student loan programs. This will make it tough on low-to-middle income students trying to obtain a higher education. How generous is the proposed budget to non-profit media? It proposes the complete elimination for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The military-industrial complex has power in the amount of money it controls and distributes throughout the political system. Congresspeople and senators regularly take money from military contractors. It takes power to confront power. There is no similar money-power that serves students (loans), scientists (research and development), low-income people (concerned with food and housing security), and information consumers (public media). The Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign is powered by small amounts of money raised online. Could a similar movement, possibly arising from the Sanders campaign, represent those impacted by Trump’s recent budget?
Jason Sibert is the executive director of the Peace Economy Project
