Budget plan to cut Food stamps, Medicaid, Children's insurance and more programs for low income families

By Mona Austin

Snap assistance and Medicaid are not the only federal programs being cut under  Pres. Donald Trump's FY 21 Budget Proposal unveiled on Monday.  People with disabilities and the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which provides funding for uninsured children whose families earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid and nearly 2 million people on the payroll of the federal government and various  departments are getting the axe.  These areas are being slashed in favor of building up military programs and operations.

The losses to specific government agencies to experience budgetary reductions are below:

  • Agriculture Department. . -$3.6B.
  • Education Department. -$8.8B.
  • HUD Department. -$8.6B.

Pres. Trump notified Congress on Monday that pay adjustments for federal civilian employees will take effect in Fiscal Year 2021. The supplemental document to the FY21 Budget stated the reason for the cut back is to  "keep the nation on a more fiscally sustainable course."

The POTUS stated the current situatation that will change under his proposal:

"Under current law, locality pay increases averaging 20.67 percent, costing $21 billion in the first year alone, would go into effect in January 2021, in addition to a 2.5 percent across-the-board increase for the base General Schedule."

He  is using presidential authority to dock pay raises for federal employees he wrote in a letter explaining, "Specifically, I have determined that for 2021 the across-the-board base pay increase will be limited to 1.0 percent and locality pay percentages will remain at their 2020 levels." 
The plan will likely not succeed with Democrats skeptical of the existing deficit and uncertainties in an election year, but offers a glimpse into the administration's financial priorities.  Defense  spending remains a chief area of funding in the $4.8 trillion annual financial vision.  If the budget is approved, the Department of Defense will get an increase of $33.3 billion, with funds likely pulled from the other areas that are being cut.

The Associated Press notes: "Its cuts to food stamps, farm subsidies, Medicaid and student loans couldn't pass when Republicans controlled Congress, much less now with liberal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi."

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