The budget blueprint the Trump administration released today is an attack on our families, our communities, our economy and our country.  Simply put - American families, and our economy as a whole, would be worse off if Congress adopted this budget, which prioritizes building walls over building schools, expensive new weapon systems over investing in our nation’s children, and corporate interests over common sense. 

Not only are the priorities in Trump’s proposed budget the exact opposite of American values and the priorities of America’s families, Trump’s budget would also hurt our economy.

In order for our economy and families to thrive, jobs must pay a living wage, family leave must be available after a new baby arrives or when a family member gets seriously ill, high-quality and affordable early education/childcare must be in place so parents can work and children can thrive, and we must all be able to live free from discrimination and gun violence.  All this is critical to boosting our economy, and lifting up all of our families.

A budget proposal is an important way to measure the true priorities of its author: President Trump’s true priorities are made loud and clear in his budget blueprint—and it is clear who is being left out. Trump’s budget is bad for families and is especially toxic for moms, immigrants, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ loved ones, who already face an appalling level of bias, discrimination and violence, which would only increase under this plan.

Among the items of particular concern in President Trump’s proposed budget:

• Deep and indefensible cuts to the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency;
• A failure to invest in public education, and the repositioning of scant education resources to support private schools, at the expense of the public education– especially for low-income students and teacher training;
• The elimination of funding for the afterschool and summer learning programs families across the country that parents rely on to educate and care for their children;
• A cut in funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which provides much needed nutrition and breastfeeding guidance to pregnant women and their babies;
• The elimination of the Community Services Block Grant, which provides our communities with essential anti-poverty programs and assists to address issues of employment, nutrition, and health;
• A huge cut in funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Moms know that the priorities of our nation – and our nation itself -- didn’t shift between presidents. Donald Trump lost the majority vote.  He has no mandate to legislate a budget this extreme and harmful. We didn’t suddenly change from a country where our diversity is what makes us strong, innovative and prosperous, to one of carnage and division on November 8th.  President Trump’s priorities are not America’s priorities. The more than 1 million members of MomsRising will make sure that our members of Congress stand with us by rejecting this damaging budget.