President's budget cuts 97 percent of Great Lakes restoration funding
(WJBK) - The president’s budget proposal released Thursday morning includes a 97 percent funding cut to Great Lakes cleanup.
Funding for the project would be reduced from $300 million to $10 million, according to an EPA budget the National Association of Clean Air Agencies obtained.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an effort to protect and restore the Great Lakes launched in 2010. This entails cleaning specific areas, controlling invasive species, combating harmful algal blooms and managing areas to protect native species. CLICK HERE to learn more about the project.
This reduction is among numerous funding reductions President Trump outlines in his budget proposal released Thursday entitled “America First," likely to combat the U.S.'s $20 trillion national debt.
Today White House press secretary Sean Spicer will be joined by Office of Management & Budget director Mick Mulvaney. We’ll stream that live on Fox 2 News Now at 2 p.m. - just check fox2detroit.com’s homepage or our Facebook page to join in the conversation.
But let’s take a look at the budget beforehand, which is meant to serve as a blueprint. A budget released later in the spring will map our specifics.
The first sentence reads: “The American people elected me to fight for their priorities in Washington, D.C. and deliver on my promise to protect our Nation. I fully intend to keep that promise.”
President Trump outlines his major goals, including:
- a major increase in defense spending
- increasing the budget for immigration enforcement
- resources for the Mexico wall and other border patrol additions
- more funding for means to address violent crimes and opioid abuse
- efforts to spend American tax dollars in America
Divided by department, here are the changes:
Department of Agriculture
$17.9 billion for the department - a $4.7 billion decrease (21 percent)
Department of Commerce
$7.8 billion for the department - a $1.5 billion decrease (16 percent)
Department of Defense
$639 billion for the department - a $52 billion increase (10 percent)
Department of Education
$59 billion for the department - a $9 billion decrease (13 percent)
Department of Energy
$28 billion for the department - a $1.7 billion decrease (5.6 percent)
Department of Health and Human Services
$69 billion for the department - a $15.1 billion decrease (17.9 percent)
Department of Homeland Security
$44.1 billion for the department - a $2.8 billion increase (6.8 percent)
Department of Housing and Urban Development
$40.7 billion for the department - a $6.2 billion decrease (13.2 percent)
Department of the Interior
$11.6 billion for the department - a $1.5 billion decrease (12 percent)
Department of Justice
$27.7 billion for the department - a $1.1 billion decrease (3.8 percent)
Department of Labor
$9.6 billion for the department - a $2.5 billion decrease (21 percent)
Department of State, USAID, and Treasury International Programs
$25.6 billion for the department - a $10.1 billion decrease (28 percent)
Department of Transportation
$16.2 billion for the department - a $2.4 billion decrease (13 percent)
Department of the Treasury
$12.1 billion for the department - a $519 million decrease (4.1 percent)
Department of Veterans Affairs
$78.9 billion for the department - a $4.4 billion increase (6 percent)
Environmental Protection Agency
$5.7 billion for the EPA - a $2.6 billion decrease (31 percent)
NASA
$19.1 billion for NASA - a 0.8 percent decrease
Small Business Administration
$826.5 million for SBA - a $43.2 million decrease (5 percent)
Summary:
Departments with increased funding: Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs
Departments with decreased funding: Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health/Human Services, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, USAID, and Treasury International Programs, Transportation, Treasury, EPA, NASA, Small Business Administration