Budget deal the work of centrists – Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

The imprint of the author of The Art of the Deal was conspicuously missing from a new federal budget agreement that ignored the draconian proposals President Donald Trump sought for fiscal year 2018.

The $1.16 trillion deal for the next five months that raised the federal debt ceiling was a temporary victory for centrists, extending a budget approved during the Obama administration. The next federal fiscal year budget begins Oct. 1.

The agreement was reached by a coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats, leaving the Freedom Caucus the far-right tea party group that includes Rep. Rod Blum, R-Dubuque outside looking in. According to the Washington Post, the White House was excluded from discussions, its participation deemed as unhelpful by congressional aides.

For his proposed fiscal 2018 skinny budget, Trump wants a 9 percent or $54 billion increase in military spending 3 percent more than envisioned along with a larger increase for Homeland Security and his border wall.

To offset those costs, the White House targeted 62 domestic programs environmental, health and medical research, the arts, after-school programs, community development, aid to low-income families and subsidies for rural airports among them for elimination. Others faced drastic cuts, including agriculture.

They were spared for now, including Planned Parenthood funding, long in conservatives cross hairs, as the domestic budget was increased by $5 billion.

Democrats were quick with self-congratulatory declarations, claiming leverage, particularly in the Senate where Republicans hold a 52-48 majority but require 60 votes to pass most legislation. Many moderate Republicans were wary of the impact of Trumps proposed cuts on their constituencies.

I think its great that the Democrats like the bill, said White House budget director Mick Mulvaney. We thought it was a really good deal for this administration as well.

Mulvaney claimed the administration didnt push for bricks and mortar for the wall but new fixes instead, belying its quest to start 14 miles of construction near San Diego. While the White House contends the wall will be built, it must overcome concerns of many border state and moderate Republicans as well as Democrats concerning its cost and effectiveness.

While Trump didnt get his $1 billion down payment on the wall, $1.5 billion was allocated for increased border protection, including improving the fence dividing California and Arizona from Mexico, while adding sensors and lights.

However, his Executive Order to immediately hire 5,000 new Border Patrol agents was pared to 100.

The congressional negotiators approved $21 billion in higher defense spending $6 billion in budget increases and $15 billion from an off-budget war fund about two-thirds of what Trump wanted.

Among the survivors and those averting substantial cuts were:

The Essential Air Service program for rural airports, providing Waterloo with an annual $945,546 subsidy for 13 American Airlines weekly flights, which emerged intact.

The National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, which got an additional $2 million instead of extinction.

Public broadcasting, which maintained its budgets.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which lost $13 million rather than facing Trump reforms with an unspecified cost, while the Public Health Preparedness and Response Center, which prepares for a bioterrorism attack or pandemic, was fully funded.

The National Institutes of Health, which received a $2 billion increase instead of $5.8 billion in cuts, for research into Alzheimers disease, antibiotic resistance and other treatments and cures.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which retained 99 percent of its funding rather than a 31 percent cut. However, its staffing is at Reagan era levels.

The food stamp program, which took a $2.4 billion hit based on declining enrollment.

Planned Parenthood, which received funding for Medicaid patients (about 40 percent of its budget).

In addition, $130 million was allocated to fight opioid addiction and $30 million for mental health programs.

Some budget items were directed at Trump:

An additional $61 million was approved to pay local law enforcement agencies for the cost of protecting Trump and his family at the Trump tower in New York City and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

All Executive Orders are required to have cost estimates. Trump has issued 30.

While the agreement averted a government shutdown, Trump later tweeted a good shutdown in the fall was needed to force a partisan confrontation over spending, including a reversal of Senate rules effectively requiring a supermajority to pass most major legislation.

Well find out then whether this coalition will hold amid his proposed tax cut forecast to reduce revenues by $5.5 trillion over 10 years and still unannounced $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

Meanwhile Trump and Congress continue to ignore entitlement reforms (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the like), which constitute 60 percent of the federal budget.

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Budget deal the work of centrists - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier