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Trump also chose to extend tax cuts that favor the wealthy at a further cost of $1.4 trillion over 10 years. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Remember Trump's Choices: War, Walls, and Wall Street
There are few clearer ways to see an administration’s choices than its budget. Here’s what we found in the president’s.
Mar 03, 2020
The 2020 presidential campaign is well underway, and it's noisy. Candidates make promises, break promises, offer assurances, and spin the news constantly.
What's one way to get a clear look at their priorities? In the case of a sitting president, by looking at their budget proposals. And when President Trump announced his $4.8 trillion budget recently, he made clear his top priority was continuing to plow more money into war, walls, and Wall Street--and less into everything else.
"We're going to have a very good budget with a very powerful military budget," he said, "because we have no choice."
This is simply false. Budgets are all about choices, and President Trump's budget speaks volumes about the priorities and people he has chosen.
The Pentagon already has a higher budget than it did at the peak of the Vietnam War. Yet while tens of thousands of troops qualify for food stamps, half of every dollar the Pentagon receives goes to corporate contractors that siphon off more than $350 billion each year. That's roughly twice the entire budget for taking care of our veterans.
The choice that Trump has made for this country is not just for war, walls, and Wall Street. It is also a choice for massive poverty, systemic racism, the devastation of our planet, and an endless war on the poor at home and abroad.
Who else wins with this budget? Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose notorious treatment of immigrants and their children shocked the conscience of Americans. Under Trump's plan, ICE's budget would double by 2024.
Finally, Trump also chose to extend tax cuts that favor the wealthy at a further cost of $1.4 trillion over 10 years.
Who didn't the president choose?
With his cuts to food stamps, housing, and afterschool programs, he didn't choose the youth in Pacoima, California, where 1 out of 5 public school students are homeless, or the 39 million children who are poor or low-income across the nation.
With his cuts to student loan assistance, he didn't choose the homeless students in Santa Cruz, California, who need to decide between doing research or finding a place to live, or the 45 million families who are saddled with more than $1.5 trillion in student debt.
With his cuts to health care and Medicaid, he didn't choose Venus Greer from Selma, Alabama, who didn't have access to Medicaid and died from preventable cancer complications, or the other 87 million Americans who are uninsured or underinsured.
WIth his cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, he didn't choose the Apache Nation in Oak Flats, Arizona, who are fighting against Resolution Copper to prevent the desecration of their sacred lands. He didn't choose the Applachians, Lousianans, or Ohio Valley residents who suffer sky-high cancer rates from industrial contamination, or the 9 million people who die premature deaths worldwide from pollution.
Because of his warmongering and militarism, he didn't even choose the 20 veterans who commit suicide every day, or the thousands of young people who will enlist in the military this year because they have no other economic opportunity.
The choice that Trump has made for this country is not just for war, walls, and Wall Street. It is also a choice for massive poverty, systemic racism, the devastation of our planet, and an endless war on the poor at home and abroad.
Budgets are moral documents. They reflect our priorities, who we believe is deserving of our nation's abundant resources, and what we choose to invest in for future generations.
The Poor People's Campaign Moral Budget, by contrast, shows how we can invest instead in education, good jobs, social welfare, housing, health care, water, democracy, and peace -- and in the process grow our economy, stave off the climate crisis, and make our society safer and more equitable
Trump has made his choice. What will ours be?
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Lindsay Koshgarian
Lindsay Koshgarian directs the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
Shailly Gupta Barnes
Shailly Gupta Barnes is the Policy Director of the Poor People's Campaign and the Kairos Center.
The 2020 presidential campaign is well underway, and it's noisy. Candidates make promises, break promises, offer assurances, and spin the news constantly.
What's one way to get a clear look at their priorities? In the case of a sitting president, by looking at their budget proposals. And when President Trump announced his $4.8 trillion budget recently, he made clear his top priority was continuing to plow more money into war, walls, and Wall Street--and less into everything else.
"We're going to have a very good budget with a very powerful military budget," he said, "because we have no choice."
This is simply false. Budgets are all about choices, and President Trump's budget speaks volumes about the priorities and people he has chosen.
The Pentagon already has a higher budget than it did at the peak of the Vietnam War. Yet while tens of thousands of troops qualify for food stamps, half of every dollar the Pentagon receives goes to corporate contractors that siphon off more than $350 billion each year. That's roughly twice the entire budget for taking care of our veterans.
The choice that Trump has made for this country is not just for war, walls, and Wall Street. It is also a choice for massive poverty, systemic racism, the devastation of our planet, and an endless war on the poor at home and abroad.
Who else wins with this budget? Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose notorious treatment of immigrants and their children shocked the conscience of Americans. Under Trump's plan, ICE's budget would double by 2024.
Finally, Trump also chose to extend tax cuts that favor the wealthy at a further cost of $1.4 trillion over 10 years.
Who didn't the president choose?
With his cuts to food stamps, housing, and afterschool programs, he didn't choose the youth in Pacoima, California, where 1 out of 5 public school students are homeless, or the 39 million children who are poor or low-income across the nation.
With his cuts to student loan assistance, he didn't choose the homeless students in Santa Cruz, California, who need to decide between doing research or finding a place to live, or the 45 million families who are saddled with more than $1.5 trillion in student debt.
With his cuts to health care and Medicaid, he didn't choose Venus Greer from Selma, Alabama, who didn't have access to Medicaid and died from preventable cancer complications, or the other 87 million Americans who are uninsured or underinsured.
WIth his cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, he didn't choose the Apache Nation in Oak Flats, Arizona, who are fighting against Resolution Copper to prevent the desecration of their sacred lands. He didn't choose the Applachians, Lousianans, or Ohio Valley residents who suffer sky-high cancer rates from industrial contamination, or the 9 million people who die premature deaths worldwide from pollution.
Because of his warmongering and militarism, he didn't even choose the 20 veterans who commit suicide every day, or the thousands of young people who will enlist in the military this year because they have no other economic opportunity.
The choice that Trump has made for this country is not just for war, walls, and Wall Street. It is also a choice for massive poverty, systemic racism, the devastation of our planet, and an endless war on the poor at home and abroad.
Budgets are moral documents. They reflect our priorities, who we believe is deserving of our nation's abundant resources, and what we choose to invest in for future generations.
The Poor People's Campaign Moral Budget, by contrast, shows how we can invest instead in education, good jobs, social welfare, housing, health care, water, democracy, and peace -- and in the process grow our economy, stave off the climate crisis, and make our society safer and more equitable
Trump has made his choice. What will ours be?
Lindsay Koshgarian
Lindsay Koshgarian directs the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
Shailly Gupta Barnes
Shailly Gupta Barnes is the Policy Director of the Poor People's Campaign and the Kairos Center.
The 2020 presidential campaign is well underway, and it's noisy. Candidates make promises, break promises, offer assurances, and spin the news constantly.
What's one way to get a clear look at their priorities? In the case of a sitting president, by looking at their budget proposals. And when President Trump announced his $4.8 trillion budget recently, he made clear his top priority was continuing to plow more money into war, walls, and Wall Street--and less into everything else.
"We're going to have a very good budget with a very powerful military budget," he said, "because we have no choice."
This is simply false. Budgets are all about choices, and President Trump's budget speaks volumes about the priorities and people he has chosen.
The Pentagon already has a higher budget than it did at the peak of the Vietnam War. Yet while tens of thousands of troops qualify for food stamps, half of every dollar the Pentagon receives goes to corporate contractors that siphon off more than $350 billion each year. That's roughly twice the entire budget for taking care of our veterans.
The choice that Trump has made for this country is not just for war, walls, and Wall Street. It is also a choice for massive poverty, systemic racism, the devastation of our planet, and an endless war on the poor at home and abroad.
Who else wins with this budget? Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose notorious treatment of immigrants and their children shocked the conscience of Americans. Under Trump's plan, ICE's budget would double by 2024.
Finally, Trump also chose to extend tax cuts that favor the wealthy at a further cost of $1.4 trillion over 10 years.
Who didn't the president choose?
With his cuts to food stamps, housing, and afterschool programs, he didn't choose the youth in Pacoima, California, where 1 out of 5 public school students are homeless, or the 39 million children who are poor or low-income across the nation.
With his cuts to student loan assistance, he didn't choose the homeless students in Santa Cruz, California, who need to decide between doing research or finding a place to live, or the 45 million families who are saddled with more than $1.5 trillion in student debt.
With his cuts to health care and Medicaid, he didn't choose Venus Greer from Selma, Alabama, who didn't have access to Medicaid and died from preventable cancer complications, or the other 87 million Americans who are uninsured or underinsured.
WIth his cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, he didn't choose the Apache Nation in Oak Flats, Arizona, who are fighting against Resolution Copper to prevent the desecration of their sacred lands. He didn't choose the Applachians, Lousianans, or Ohio Valley residents who suffer sky-high cancer rates from industrial contamination, or the 9 million people who die premature deaths worldwide from pollution.
Because of his warmongering and militarism, he didn't even choose the 20 veterans who commit suicide every day, or the thousands of young people who will enlist in the military this year because they have no other economic opportunity.
The choice that Trump has made for this country is not just for war, walls, and Wall Street. It is also a choice for massive poverty, systemic racism, the devastation of our planet, and an endless war on the poor at home and abroad.
Budgets are moral documents. They reflect our priorities, who we believe is deserving of our nation's abundant resources, and what we choose to invest in for future generations.
The Poor People's Campaign Moral Budget, by contrast, shows how we can invest instead in education, good jobs, social welfare, housing, health care, water, democracy, and peace -- and in the process grow our economy, stave off the climate crisis, and make our society safer and more equitable
Trump has made his choice. What will ours be?
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