Trump Budget Proposal Cuts Ag Spending

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The president rolled out the final budget request for his first term in office. Like all of the previous budget ideas, Politico says the bulk of Trump’s fiscal 2021 spending plans are heading straight for the congressional paper shredder.

Among the many ideas lawmakers are likely to say no to are the White House calls for SNAP cuts, as well as cuts to Medicaid and other safety-net programs. That’s a big piece of the Trump effort to lower federal spending by $4.4 trillion over the next ten years.  And yes, the cuts do include the Ag Department.

Trump would trim the USDA discretionary budget by more than eight percent from its current levels. That would take it from $23.8 billion this year down to $21.8 billion next year.

The Trump budget would propose $57.7 billion in mandatory cuts to agricultural spending by 2030, including lowering crop insurance subsidies, tightening eligibility for farm payments, and by slashing spending on conservation programs. Politico points out that like virtually all other budget proposals from previous presidents, this one has no chance of ever going into effect.