List of Infrastructure Programs Eliminated in Budget
Public works cuts in 8 agencies
High (and Low) Lights of White House Budget Proposal
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know President Donald Trump wants to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure. Let’s crunch the numbers to see if he puts his money where his mouth is.
Public Works, By Stephanie Johnston, March 21, 2017
The proposed White House 2018 budget increases military spending by $54 billion. Because the president won’t do anything that would add to the $20 trillion national debt, $54 billion must be cut from other programs.
I know many of you don’t use federal funds, so you probably don't care what happens to the following programs. But because they've supported projects covered at one time or another by Public Works, I’m curious how they’d fare.
AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT
Eliminated: Rural Development grants and loans for water, wastewater, and stormwater projects
Reason: “Communities can be served by private-sector financing or other federal investments, such as EPA’s State Revolving Funds" [which would increase by $4 million].
Savings: $498 million
COMMERCE DEPARTMENT
Eliminated: Economic Development Administration
Reason: "Provides small grants with limited measurable impacts and duplicates other programs, such as Agriculture Department Rural Utilities Service grants and U.S. DOT formula grants to states."
Savings: $221 million
HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Eliminated: Community Development Block Grant program
Reason: “The government’s spent $150 billion since 1974, but the program isn’t well-targeted and hasn’t demonstrated results.”
Savings: $3 billion
ENERGY DEPARTMENT
Eliminated: Weatherization Assistance Program and State Energy Program
Reason: “To reduce federal intervention in state-level energy policy and implementation.”
Savings: $2 billion (apx.; other programs affected as well)
HOMELAND SECURITY
Eliminated: National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Flood Hazard Mapping Program discretionary appropriation
Reason: “To ensure government services aren’t subsidized by taxpayers who don’t directly benefit.”
Savings: $190 million
Eliminated or reduced: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs not authorized by Congress, such as the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program, or that must provide more measurable results and ensure the federal government isn’t supplanting other stakeholders’ responsibilities, such as the Homeland Security Grant Program.
Proposed: 25% non-federal match for FEMA preparedness grant awards that currently don't require them, the same cost-sharing approach as disaster recovery grants.
Reason: “Activities and acquisitions funded through these programs are primarily state and local functions.”
Savings: $667 million
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
Eliminated: National Wildlife Refuge funds to local governments that duplicate other payment programs
Savings: no figure given
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
Eliminated: Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants
Reason: “Unauthorized discretionary program funds projects eligible for existing surface transportation formula programs. Authorized by the FAST Act of 2015, Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects grants support the same projects and the program’s authorized to receive $900 million annually through 2020.”
Savings: $499 million
Limited: Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Program (New Starts) to projects with full funding grant agreements
Reason: “Future investments to be funded by the localities that use and benefit from these localized projects.”
Savings: no figure given
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Reduced: Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Reason: “Avoids duplication by concentrating on programs not delegated to states while providing oversight to maintain consistency and assistance across state, local, and tribal programs.”
Savings: $129 million
Reduced: Hazardous Substance Superfund Account
Reason: “Reins in administrative costs and emphasizes efficiency by prioritizing use of existing settlement funds and removing barriers that have delayed program’s ability to return sites to the community."
Savings: $330 million
Eliminated: Funding for regional programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Chesapeake Bay Program
Reason: “Returns responsibility for funding local efforts to state and local entities, allowing EPA to focus on its highest national priorities.”
Savings: $427 million
Eliminated: 50 other programs including Targeted Airshed Grants, Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, and infrastructure assistance to Alaska Native Villages and the Mexico Border
Reason: “Lower-priority and poorly performing programs and grants aren’t funded, nor are duplicative functions that can be absorbed into other programs or that are state and local responsibilities.”
Savings: $347 million
Infrastructure’s Total Potential Contribution: $8.3 billion
The White House is expected to release more details in May, but a budget resolution can’t be adopted until the Affordable Care Act is repealed.
The proposed White House 2018 budget increases military spending by $54 billion. Because the president won’t do anything that would add to the national debt, $54 billion must be cut from other programs.
