Trump's Budget Proposal for 2019


On February 12th, 2018, President Trump released the proposed budget for 2019 in the Office of Management and Budget.

About the Budget

The President's proposed budget is available from the White House website. The OSU Library has received paper copies of the budget and the Appendices. The copies can be found on the fifth floor of the library under PREX 2.8:2018/APP. Docs. Ref. call number.

What did Trump propose?

Trump plans to increase defense spending while cutting money spent on social programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamps. According to New York Times, White House Proposes $4.4 Trillion Budget That Adds $7 Trillion to Deficits, Trump wants to increase military spending by $195 billion and non-defense spending by $131 billion over the next two years. He "proposes $1.8 trillion in cuts to programs like Medicaid and, Medicare, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)."

Non-defense discretionary spending will experience the largest cut if Trump's proposed budget is passed. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities asserts that "non-defense discretionary (NDD) programs comprise domestic and international programs outside of national defense that Congress funds on an annual basis." The NDD programs include health care and health research; transportation and economic development; education and training; economic security; science, environment, and energy; law enforcement and governance; diplomacy and international affairs.

Will the proposed budget cut be enforced?

Trump's proposed budget cut is not set in stone, it has to go through Congress first. Vox's article, Trump's 2019 budget: what he cuts, how much he cuts, and why it matters, states that "For his budget to pass, Trump needs to get at least 60 votes in the Senate, meaning at least nine Democrats would have to vote for the budget cuts or at least filibuster." The budget cut is an opportunity for the President and his administration to express what changes they want to see. These changes are not solidified as law because they have to go through the Senate and House Committees. These committees determine what the budget cut will contain, however, they may include any aspects the President's proposed budget cut mentions. Overall, the purpose of the proposed budget cut is to introduce what President Trump wants to do with the fiscal policy.

What is the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?

The OMB works to produce and oversee the President's Budget. The program ensures that companies comply with what is stated in the OMB. The official White House website states that the OMB "serves the President of the United States in overseeing his implementation of his vision across the Executive Branch. Specifically, OMB's mission is to assist the President in meeting his policy, budget, management and regulatory objectives and to fulfill the agency's statutory responsibilities."

What is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)?

The Congressional Budget Office website maintains that  "The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 gave the President overall responsibility for budget planning by requiring him to submit an annual, comprehensive budget proposal to Congress."  However, tensions between President Nixon and Congress resulted in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. This Act reinserted that Congress has Constitutional control over the budget because it oversees its execution. The CBO is required to produce The Annual Budget and Economic Outlook; it displays economic projections and cost estimates fro bills. "Estimates often require projections of how people and institutions would respond to proposed changes in law." The CBO works to provide budget and economic information for Congress.

For more information:

The Washington's Post, What Trump Proposed in his 2019 budget
This article provides an in-depth analysis of how the proposed budget cut would affect each program.

The White House, An American Budget
The formal article of President Trump's proposed budget cut.

~by Emily Hancz

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