White House press release dated 2/ 12/ 18
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/press-briefing-omb-director-mick-mulvaney-president-trumps-fy2018-budget/
DIRECTOR MULVANEY:
All right, so that’s a lot of things we’re doing on drug prices. Opioids, again, $3 billion last year, $10 billion this year. On top of that, I think there’s a couple hundred million dollars — there’s $100 million from us on a pilot program we’re trying to do with NIH to specifically get private industry to participate in research, to get us to non-addictive pain — a pain replacement for opioids. One of the most interesting things, I think, we’ve come up with — very excited about that work.
SNAP. Food stamps. A couple of changes there. We’ll hit the highlights. You may have heard about this already: the Food Box Program. One of the most innovative things — actually, I think it originated at the USDA. Secretary Perdue wanted to give it a chance. We thought it was a tremendous idea so what we do is propose that, for folks who are on food stamps — part, not all — part of their benefits come in the actually sort of — and I don’t want to steal somebody’s copyright — but a Blue Apron-type program where you actually receive the food instead of receive the cash. It lowers the cost to us because we can buy prices at wholesale, whereas they have to buy it at retail. It also makes sure that they’re getting nutritious food. So we’re pretty excited about that. That’s a tremendous cost savings.
We’re also — contained within SNAP and a lot of the other welfare programs — a lot of the able-bodied work requirements that you’ve heard us talk about last year, and during this year. Repeal and replace Obamacare — that’s fine, we talk about that. We talk about welfare reform, that’s mostly focused on able-boded adults. Medicare, we talked about some that. Drug prices.
That farm bill subsidy, same as last year where we try and limit the subsidies to farmers who have adjusted-gross incomes of less than $500,000 — AGI of less than $500,000. Not only, on an orderly year, are we still going to cover 98 percent of farmers with that, as I point out to all my farm friends, when you have a bad year, your AGI will drop below $500,000 and you would qualify for some of the benefits and so forth.
So that hits the highlights on 2019. If I go to the next slide — I’m almost done, I promise. Macro, because we get a lot of this. We’ve changed the macroeconomic assumptions from last year slightly, as you would imagine. Here would — our assumptions last year for the GDP growth. Remember we had 2.3, 2.5, 2.8, and then we ramped up to 3.0 [percent]. Yes, I will take some pleasure in realizing that a lot of you accused me being crazy when I said that.
Our Congressional Delegation reactions, on the Budget.
Senator Murray’s Statement on President Trump’s Budget Proposal
press release issued 2/ 12/ 18
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=BFD29AF5-4F00-4983-9FC0-6A2F467A8783
Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump unveiled his Fiscal Year 2019 budget request that deprioritizes several critical funding needs, including investments in education, strengthening the safety net and protecting the environment, that are vital to families in Washington state and nationwide.
This budget is crystal clear about what President Trump prioritizes: massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations over critical investments in education, health care, the environment, and other middle class priorities. Instead of working with Democrats and Republicans to build on the bipartisan budget deal that he himself just signed into law, President Trump has instead chosen to put partisanship, division, and right-wing ideology ahead of workers, families, and the economy. While I am glad that President Trump has finally accepted the need for new investments to tackle the opioid crisis, the most positive thing I can say about the overall budget proposal is that it will quickly be rejected by Democrats and Republicans who are focused on actually delivering results for the families we represent.
Senator Murray’s Statement on Trump Budget Director’s Admission of Opposition to Trump Budget, Attempt to Backtrack from Clear Response
Press release issued 2/ 13/ 18
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement after Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney admitted to her in a Budget Committee hearing on the President’s Budget that he wouldn’t vote for the budget he was proposing and asking them to support. The Office of Management and Budget then sent a note to reporters trying to backtrack and claim that he wasn’t actually saying that.
“I was surprised to hear Director Mulvaney being so honest with me about the fact that he was asking us to support a budget he’d never vote for as a Congressman—and then I was disappointed that the White House refused to let this honesty stand and Director Mulvaney was forced to backtrack on his very clear statement to me.”
President Trump’s EPA budget for 2019 would eliminate federal role and investments in Puget Sound recovery
Press release from Congressman Kilmer dated 2/ 13/ 18
http://kilmer.house.gov/news/press-releases/president-trumps-epa-budget-for-2019-would-eliminate-federal-role-and-investments-in-puget-sound-recovery
Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Denny Heck (WA-10), cofounders of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, reacted to the proposed budget from the Trump Administration to cut the entire federal investment in Puget Sound cleanup within the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget.
“President Trump tried to drastically cut Puget Sound’s funding last year, and it didn’t work,” Rep. Heck said. “We’ve told him and shown him that there is bipartisan support for federal investments in Puget Sound recovery, and his budgets should reflect that. Americans want clean waterways and the EPA’s Geographic Programs are an important part of that commitment.”
What other news sources are saying about the proposed plan to replace food stamps, to USDA approved food boxes for the needy:
SNAP Beneficiaries May Get More Food in a Box, Less Cash on a Card
(CNSNews.com) - The Trump administration's Fiscal Year 2019 budget envisions major changes to the nation's food stamp program, or SNAP.
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/snap-beneficiaries-may-get-more-food-box-less-cash-card
Trump SNAPs to It With Reform Proposal
It goes without saying that every welfare and entitlement program demands a major overhaul. Constitutional issues aside, there simply isn’t enough money flowing into the Treasury to continue the status quo. More importantly, the way in which these programs are structured is broken and unsustainable. Consequently, this makes them highly vulnerable to abuse to varying degrees, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a.k.a. food stamps.---Patriot Post
https://patriotpost.us/articles/54134-trump-snaps-to-it-with-reform-proposal
WP: Mulvaney suggests 'Blue Apron-type program' instead of food stamps
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney explained on Feb. 12 how the Trump administration hopes to save money on food aid after proposing to cut food stamp funding.
NYT: White House Proposes $4.4 Trillion Budget That Adds $7 Trillion to Deficits
Quote: " The blueprint has little to no chance of being enacted as written and amounts to a vision statement by Mr. Trump, who as a businessman once called himself the “king of debt” and has overseen a federal spending spree that will earn him that title in an entirely different arena.
The White House budget request would add $984 billion to the federal deficit next year, despite proposed cuts to programs like Medicare and food stamps and despite leaner budgets across federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency."
AMERICAN SPECTATOR: America Ripe for Reform, Trump’s Terrible, Swift Sword
Quote: " The president signed a bill authorizing increases in domestic spending to secure larger increases in defense spending last week. This followed a State of the Union address petitioning Congress for various spending hikes, including $200 billion in federal funds for a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan. This week, he targets 12 departments for cuts.
The Departments of Agriculture (-16 percent), Commerce (-6 percent), Education (-10.5 percent), Energy (-3 percent), Health and Human Services (-21 percent), Housing and Urban Development (-18.3 percent), Interior (-16 percent), Justice (-1.2 percent), Labor (-21 percent), State (-26 percent), Transportation (-19 percent), and Treasury (-3 percent) all endure cuts. Defense (+13 percent), Homeland Security (+8 percent), and Veterans Affairs (+11.3 percent) receive increases under the plan."
https://spectator.org/trumps-terrible-swift-sword-2/
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES FROM THE UN NEWS CENTER & OTHER SOURCES
UN PRESS RELEASE: Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau Must Focus on Supporting National Efforts to Select New Prime Minister, Special Representative Tells Security Council
The political situation in Guinea-Bissau was evolving swiftly, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council today, as he outlined the latest developments in that country, including those that had obstructed the full implementation of the Conakry Agreement.
https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13209.doc.htm
UN says more than 10,000 civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan conflict last year
“The chilling statistics in this report provide credible data about the war’s impact, but the figures alone cannot capture the appalling human suffering inflicted on ordinary people, especially women and children,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1002791
New guidelines on global care standards during childbirth issued by UN health agency
The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines on global care standards throughout labour and immediately after childbirth aimed at reducing the use of needless and potentially harmful routine clinical and medical interventions.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1002781
UN agency sets ambitious target to reduce hunger and poverty for millions worldwide
Amid a global rise in hunger and poverty on back of the impacts of climate change and conflict, the United Nations rural development agency today announced an ambitious target to generate resources to fund loans and grants to enable millions in developing countries strengthen their food security and livelihoods.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/02/1002622
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Syria, Ambassador Nikki Haley; press release from the US Mission to the UN
Quote:" Iran was once again doing what it does – risking conflict and testing the will of its neighbors and opponents to resist its aggression. Israel rightly took action to defend itself. The United States will always stand by our ally when confronted with provocations from Iran, Hezbollah, or the Assad regime."
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8305
US STATE DEPT: Remarks at Memorandum of Understanding Signing and Press Conference
Rex W. Tillerson Secretary of State
Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi
Quote: " The MOU represents a 27 percent increase to the United States previous bilateral commitment to Jordan. We’ve also increased the length of the MOU from three years to five years, giving Jordan greater certainty of planning for the future. The additional funds and the years will support Jordan’s important role in addressing regional conflict and instability, including the impact that the crisis in Syria has had on Jordan. The elements of the new MOU will also support His Majesty King Abdullah’s political and – importantly – his economic reform agenda, and move Jordan closer to achieving the self-reliance that it seeks." ---- Rex W. Tillerson Secretary of State
During press confrence
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/02/278319.htm
US DEFENSE DEPT: Mattis: NATO on ‘Right Trajectory’ to Protect Nations, Values
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2018 —
NATO defense ministers agreed to continue projecting stability beyond its borders and will continue to build capabilities within the alliance, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said in Brussels today.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1442654/mattis-nato-on-right-trajectory-to-protect-nations-values/
IN THIS WEEK's EDITION:
