President Donald Trump has published his detailed budget request for Congress for the fiscal year 2018. Titled A New Foundation for American Greatness, it asks for more money for the departments of defense, homeland security, and justice. At the same time, it promises to reduce the federal debt through a combination of $3.6 trillion in spending cuts and economic growth, spurred by reduced taxes and changes to America's welfare programs.
Under Trump's request, NASA's budget would hold steady, while the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation would see their funding slashed.
The theory behind Trump's budget is that we must take from state and local programs in order to fund federal defense projects.
And, as it turns out, many economists don't love the administration's apparent investment priorities.
The Department of Defense has reallocated over $600 million from the Afghan National Security Forces to build the wall, following Trump's national emergency declaration.
In a new book, White House staffer Cliff Sims recounts what the president wanted for White House-sponsored ads intended to discourage young Americans from abusing opioid painkillers.
Trump's budget proposal would come at a cost to his core voter contingent.
