Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org or 202-670-5585
WASHINGTON D.C.-- Today, the Trump Administration released its 2019 budget proposal, and it includes deep cuts to virtually every program in government that protects Americans from environmental threats. The cuts come in the wake of a $1.5 Trillion tax cut giveaway to the richest people and corporations in the country. This funding in this budget would dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Interior.
Specifically, this proposal calls for slashing EPA's 2019 budget by 34 percent from 2017 to 5.4 billion — an even deeper cut than Trump & Pruitt sought last year — and would shrink spending at the National Science Foundation by 30 percent. Last year, the president requested a 31 percent cut to EPA's $8.2 billion budget and an 11 percent cut to NSF's $7.5 billion budget.
Under the White House plan, EPA and NSF would see the biggest cuts among the federal agencies.
Trump’s plans for the EPA’s budget includes decimating its staff and life-saving programs, including the Climate Change Research and Partnership Programs, the Indoor Air and Radon Programs, and the Marine Pollution and National Estuary Programs. For the second year in a row, Trump is advocating for the elimination or near elimination of funding used to protect iconic waters including the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound.
The proposals for the Department of the Interior sharply reduce the budget to protect America’s parks, public lands and wildlife -- the foundation of the $646 billion outdoor recreation economy.
In response, Sierra Club’s Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Trump’s budget is a statement of his priorities, and this budget demonstrates that he could care less about protecting clean air, clean water, public health or our public lands. This is a shameful, ideological document that represents the extent to which Trump has fully given himself over to corporate special interests above all else.
“Congress must act to protect the critical programs Trump wants to cut by unequivocally rejecting this rigged budget. Any member of Congress that backs draconian cuts like these is failing to represent the American people, and may find they need to start updating their resume very soon.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.