Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement on the preliminary budget proposal released by President Trump for Fiscal Year 2018:

“President Trump’s preliminary budget proposal is simply a disaster for our economy, environment, seniors, and hardworking families in New Hampshire and across the country. This budget proposal should raise red flags for anyone who wants to grow our middle class, create good paying jobs, protect human health and our environment, and fight climate change. We can’t turn back the clock on the progress we’ve made in recent years to get our economy pointed in the right direction and this budget is little more than a return to the same failed policies of the past. President Trump needs to seriously reconsider this approach and focus on crafting a budget proposal that benefits all Americans, not just those at the very top.”

“In New Hampshire, we know the serious impact toxic contamination can have on drinking water, public health, and quality of life. Slashing thirty one percent of the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget will only make defending public health and our environment more difficult. Cutting the Department of Health and Human Services by thirteen percent will eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and harm programs like Meals on Wheels and home visits that our seniors and low-income families rely on. This budget cuts the Department of Agriculture by more than twenty percent, reducing support for our small family farms, rural development programs, and the National Forest System. Investing in our children is one of the most important ways we can ensure a brighter future for our nation. A fourteen percent cut to the Department of Education just doesn’t make sense.  Eliminating Community Development Block Grants will hurt the ability of our communities to plan and invest in the future.  Weatherization programs are critical in New Hampshire and cuts to the Department of Energy would eliminate the Weatherization Assistance Program entirely. These are just a few examples of the many negative impacts this budget would have on New Hampshire. I strongly oppose this preliminary budget proposal, and for the benefit of our country, I urge my colleagues to do the same.”

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