President Donald Trump outlined some of the provisions of his budget proposal Monday, calling for major cuts to certain agencies while increasing defense funding.
His president’s plan is being met with mixed reviews from GOP lawmakers.
The budget would cut funding for the Department of State by a whopping 37 percent; defense and security spending would be upped by $54 billion.
Fiscal conservatives praised the proposal, applauding Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney for pushing for cuts to offset spending.
“Well, last night Mick Mulvaney, he was in the Freedom Caucus came out and said the want $50 billion for Defense, but Mick went out on the news and said they’ve got to pay for it, so they’re going to pay for so it’s not adding to the deficit,” Virginia Rep. Dave Brat. a member of the House Freedom Caucus, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “So, if they can keep that model, I mean that’s a pretty good model going forward, so that’s optimistic. I’m glad to see the head of OMB is trying to pay for new spending priorities while cutting where we don’t need to be spending.”
Defense hawks were skeptical of the president’s call to cut State Department spending, arguing it’s critical for the nation’s security.
“It’s not going to happen. It would be a disaster. If you take soft power off the table then you’re never going to win the war,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told NBC News.
Graham went as far as to say the suggestion of cuts to State display a “lack of understanding [of] what it takes to win the war.”
Arizona Sen. John McCain, who called for a $91 billion increase to military spending, also slammed the proposal.
“With a world on fire, America cannot secure peace through strength with just three percent more than President Obama’s budget,” he said in a statement.
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