Washington, Mar 16 (EFE).- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that the budget cuts proposed by President Donald Trump are “devastating to the middle class” and prove the true intention of his government to favor the country’s wealthiest citizens.
“The President’s proposed budget cuts are devastating to the middle class. Once again the Trump administration is showing its true colors: talk like a populist but govern like a special interests zealot,” Schumer said after learning the details of the budget proposal.
“This budget shifts the burden off of the wealthy and special interests and puts it squarely on the backs of the middle class and those struggling to get there,” he added.
The Democratic senator emphasized that it is the programs that help that sector of society that will suffer the biggest cuts under the budget proposed by the mogul – investments in infrastructure, education and scientific research into cures for various diseases.
“Democrats in Congress will emphatically oppose these cuts and urge our Republican colleagues to reject them as well,” said Schumer.
Along the same lines, Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that “Throwing billions at defense while ransacking America’s investments in jobs, education, clean energy and lifesaving medical research will leave our nation weakened.”
“The President’s budget blueprint fails to recognize America’s strength depends on more than military spending; it depends on the power of our diplomacy, the health of our economy and the vitality of our communities,” the California congresswoman added.
Trump’s proposal has received negative pushback not only from Democrats but also from influential Republican Sen. John McCain, who warned the magnate that the budget revealed on Thursday will not be approved by the Senate.
However, McCain’s opposition is more focused on military spending, which he says is not enough.
Lawmakers have until April 28 to approve the budget bill to fund the government and avoid a partial shutdown.
The budget proposal, unveiled on Thursday, sets forth enormous cuts in funding for the State Department (28 percent), the Environmental Protection Agency (31 percent), the Health and Human Services Department (23 percent) and the Labor Department (21 percent).
The reduction in funding means that 3,200 EPA jobs might be eliminated along with a 38 percent reduction in international aid, neither of which have yet been addressed or explained in any detail.
The cuts would, however, allow an increase in defense spending by 10 percent, or $54 billion, along with hikes in national security spending by 6 percent and veterans’ affairs spending by 10 percent.
The discretionary spending proposed by Trump amounts to a total of 1.15 trillion and it is expected that in May he will offer a complete budget including his tax plan and reforms to the healthcare programs and Social Security.