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The Trump administration’s proposed 2020 budget doubles down on the damage from the reckless government shutdown and Trump’s destructive agenda to sell out our kids’ health and the great outdoors to corporate polluters -- it includes a 14 percent cut to the Department of the Interior! We must do everything we can to encourage Congress to instead pass a budget that invests in the well-being of our families and the health of our planet.
(To see a roundup of how the proposed budget slashes funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, check out Mary Anne Hitt’s column)
Hardworking families have sent Congress a clear mandate to put future generations before corporate polluter profits by prioritizing protections for air, water, wildlife, lands, and oceans and by rejecting massive cuts to agencies and programs that are already significantly underfunded… but the Trump administration is again prioritizing corporate polluters.
Here are some “lowlights” from the proposed budget:
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It would cut 15 percent from the National Park Service budget, leading to fewer rangers and other staff to help maintain parks. This would further harm our national parks, which are already understaffed and underfunded and are especially in need of support after Trump’s pointless government shutdown several months ago. There is a $12 billion backlog in repair needs at our national parks!
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It prioritizes fossil fuels on our public lands instead of protection and preservation by increasing funding for energy development and decreasing funding for safety enforcement.
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Despite overwhelming support in both the Senate and the House to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, it would cut this program entirely. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is America’s most successful conservation program. During its 50+ year history, it has facilitated projects in every state in the U.S.
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On the heels of acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Trump’s push to permit offshore drilling during the government shutdown, the proposed budget would increase funding to allow more offshore drilling while decreasing funding for oil-spill research.
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It would cut funding for Endangered Species Act protections by 50 percent.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would see a cut of 16 percent below 2019 levels.
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It would cut the National Heritage Area program and the Historic Preservation Fund, which support local tourism economies by providing opportunities and funding for historic preservation and interpretation.
Additionally, for the Department of Homeland Security, the proposed budget would allow $8.6 billion for more border wall, despite Trump having just lost a government shutdown fight over the same issue. Border walls not only tear apart communities but also deny access to or cut through beautiful wildlands and historical landmarks. In Texas, the walls would harm Bentsen State Park, the National Butterfly Center, La Lomita Chapel, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
This proposed budget is a statement of the Trump administration’s priorities -- which are completely out-of-step with what people want. We’ve learned yet again that he could not care less about the real public health and environmental challenges our nation must urgently address. The $2 billion in cuts to Interior would leave future generations of Americans in danger of losing our country’s iconic public parks, lands, wildlife and waters.
TAKE ACTION: Tell your members of Congress to protect our air, water, and lands from the Trump administration's dirty budget!