President Trump proposed a record-setting $4.75 trillion budget on Monday. The proposal includes an increase in military spending and sharp cuts to education and environmental protection for the 2020 fiscal year. The budget, “A Budget for Better America,” asks for an additional $8.6 billion for construction of a border wall, and includes a five percent increase in military spending, which is more than the Pentagon had asked for. Also included is a $1.9 trillion cut to safety net programs, like Medicaid and Medicare. Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate pronounced the budget dead on arrival on Sunday. Actual spending levels are controlled by Congress. Trump’s previous budgets have largely failed to gain traction, even when fellow Republicans controlled both chambers. The budget is an outline of Trump’s re-election campaign priorities, replete with deep cuts to programs that Democrats hold dear.
