February 10, 2020

Rep. Mike Levin Responds to Reckless Cuts in Trump’s FY 2021 Budget Proposal

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) responded to President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal, which includes reckless cuts to critical programs for American families most in need.

“The President’s latest budget proposal is an assault on programs that support the most vulnerable Americans,” said Rep. Levin. “If your family depends on nutrition assistance, disability benefits, or health care through Medicaid or Medicare, then the Administration is turning its back on you. With a 27 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Administration is putting the wishes of big polluters ahead of the air we breathe and the water we drink. The budget proposal also drastically undermines American leadership around the world, with a 21 percent cut in foreign aid that plays a critical role in promoting security, stemming humanitarian crisis, improving public health, and more. If the President is serious about addressing our debt and reducing deficits, then he should start by reversing the massive giveaway that corporations and the wealthiest Americans received under the GOP tax scam, not by leaving working families with the bill. I’m ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make smart investments in our veterans, the climate crisis, and more, but the President’s budget proposal is not an acceptable starting place.”

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

  1. $37.7 billion for National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • This would result in a $2.6 billion cut to biomedical research, much of which takes place in the 49th District.
  1. $1.48 billion for Impact Aid
  • This would result in a $75 million cut to critical funding for schools on federal property that do not receive resources from state and local property states. This cut will reduce services and negatively impact students who attend school on Camp Pendleton.
  1. Eliminates Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
  • This will discourage student loan borrowers from entering public service jobs in the 49th district, such as contributing to our community with police and fire departments, veteran service organizations, prosecutor and public defender offices, and many others. 

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

  1. $787 million for VA Medical and Prosthetic Research
  • This would result in a $13 million cut to this research, much of which takes place in the 49th District.
  1. $387.6 million for Supportive Services for Veteran Families
  • This would result in a $7.6 million increase in grants to organizations to provide veteran families with outreach, case management, and assistance in obtaining benefits that promote housing stability and community integration.
  1. $438.3 million for HUD-VASH Case Management
  • This would result in a $30 million increase for support services such as health care, mental health treatment and substance use counseling to help veterans in their recovery process and with their ability to maintain housing in the community.
  1. $264 million for Grant and Per Diem
  • This would result in a $7.6 million increase for community agencies providing transitional housing and services to help homeless veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and obtain greater self-determination.
  1. $313 million for veteran suicide prevention
  • This would result in a $91 million increase for activities including community-based prevention, clinically-based interventions, and strategy development and implementation.
  1. No funding to overhaul information technology systems within VBA Education Services.
  • During a tour of the Muskogee Regional Processing Office, Undersecretary Lawrence previously asked for $120 million for this purpose.
  1. Camp Pendleton Military Construction Projects: $37 million for the I MEF Consolidated Information Center and $68.5 million for the 1st MARDIV Operations Complex.
  • The request would complete funding of the new consolidated information center, which includes secure workspaces and more updated communications capabilities. Construction is expected to conclude in 2023.

Energy & Water

  1. $25 million for Consolidated Interim Storage (CIS)
  • The CIS funding would allow continued work on preparation to remove spent nuclear fuel from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
  1. Reduces by $1.7 billion Army Corps of Engineers funding
  • This potentially means less funding that could be allocated for critical shore protection projects like those in Encinitas, Solana Beach, and San Clemente.
  1. $2.47 million for Oceanside Harbor Dredging
  • Regular dredging is critical for the local fishing fleet, the commercial sport fishing fleet, and local recreational vessels.
  1. Eliminates Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
  • ARPA-E is an important tool that spurs the development of groundbreaking energy technologies to address the climate crisis.

Interior & Environment

  1. Cuts 27 percent from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) topline budget
  • This would further hamstring the agency, making it more difficult to protect clean air and water in the 49th District.
  1. Eliminates the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Grant Program (BWIP)
  • This would cut off the program that provides annual funds to address cross-border sewage flows.
  1. Nearly eliminates the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
  • This popular conservation program is critical to protecting new lands.

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

  1. $7.7 billion for National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • This would result in a $540 million cut to scientific research, much of which takes place in the 49th District.
  1. $77 million for Drug Courts
  • This would result in a $3 million cut in grants for the development and enhancement of state and local drug courts.
  1. $22 million for Veterans Treatment Courts
  • This would result in a $1 million cut in grants for the establishment and development of state and local veterans treatment courts to serve veterans struggling with addiction, serious mental illness, and co-occurring disorders.
  1. Zeroes out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Competitive Research Program.
  • This weakens federal efforts to address critical climate issues like sea level rise, which is already having a significant impact on the 49th District.
  1. $498 million for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
  • This would result in a $4 million decrease to the program that assists individuals affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.
  1. Eliminates Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) Office and cuts $130 million in support to local governments to hire new police officers.
  • This reduction means fewer local police officers and will put public safety at risk.
  1. Cuts the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program by $31 million.
  • This program facilities cooperation among law enforcement agencies to share information and implement coordinated enforcement activities to reduce drug trafficking.

Homeland Security

  1. $2 billion for an additional 82 miles of wall along the southern border
  • This wasteful request will not strengthen national security and could be used to address humanitarian issues at the border.
  1. An increase of $544 million to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to fund “an additional 4,636 ICE law enforcement officers, immigration court prosecuting attorneys, and additional critical support staff”

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

  1. Cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $15 billion this year, and $182 billion over the next ten years
  • This would increase hunger in the 49th District and across the country.

Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

  1. Eliminates the Community Development Block Grant program
  • This would cut $3.4 billion in flexible funding to address a wide variety of community development needs, including housing.
  1. Eliminates the HOME Investment Partnerships program
  • This would cut $1.3 billion in flexible housing funding that state and local governments can use for grants, direct loans, loan guarantees or other forms of credit enhancements, or rental assistance or security deposits.
  1. $2.8 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants
  • This would provide level funding for Emergency Solutions Grants, the Continuum of Care Program, and Rural Housing Stability Assistance.
  1. $18.8 billion for Tenant Based Rental Assistance
  • This would cut $5.0 billion in rental subsidies, including $4.5 billion from Housing Choice Voucher renewals, $512 million from Public Housing Agency administrative fees, and $40 million from new HUD-VASH vouchers.
  1. Eliminates Brand USA
  • Brand USA promotes travel to the U.S. and helps drive tourism in the 49th District.

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