Today, President Trump released his Administration’s initial Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget blueprint to Congress. Read Independent Sector’s statement on the budget.
Described as a “skinny” budget, the blueprint only offers recommendations for discretionary spending. Additional details of the Administration’s mandatory spending, tax, and other fiscal priorities are expected to be released in May. It is not unusual for a new administration to roll out its initial budget recommendations in a more piecemeal fashion.
The America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again proposes $1.1 trillion in total discretionary spending, including a $54 billion increase in defense spending above the current spending caps that is offset by deep cuts in non-defense discretionary programs deemed to be duplicative or ineffective.
These cuts include entirely eliminating funding to core programs of importance to the charitable community, such as the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Endowment for the Arts. The proposal adheres to legislative language that permits discretionary spending outside of the budget caps to be authorized for specific purposes outlined in the 21st Century Cures Act and includes $3 billion for building a border security wall.
While non-binding, the president’s budget is an indication of the administration’s broader priorities.
Learn more in our summary of the budget.
Jamie Tucker is the director, public policy strategy and operations at Independent Sector.
