Trump’s Budget is Comically Bad for Food and Water Justice

Washington D.C. - Included in President Trump's fiscal-year 2021 budget is a drastic 26.5% cut for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an 8% cut for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and an overall strong priority for defense while slashing safety net programs.

In response, Food & Water Action Executive Director Wenonah Hauter issued the following statement:

“Trump’s budget is an arrogant combination of irresponsible safety net cuts and negligence. EPA and USDA’s budgets have been insufficient for decades, and now Trump envisions minimal or diminished spending for both in the face of a water, food, and climate crisis.

“He proposes gutting 28% from the State Revolving Fund programs, the main source of federal support for our nation’s aging water and sewer systems and wants to eliminate funding for an array of grants and programs from safe water of small and disadvantaged communities to beaches protection while zeroing out funding for environmental justice enforcement. 

“Just as bad, Trump calculates chump change should be enough for the Food and Drug Administration to stop the continuous slews of food recalls, while also proposing the same tired idea of eliminating government funding for meat, poultry, and egg products inspection in future years and replacing it with industry user fees that make USDA inspectors beholden to industry for their paychecks. He’s also moving forward with his ill-conceived, and widely contested New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) that would privatize inspection functions on hog slaughter lines.

“At a time when we need more funding than ever for clean air protections and food safety measures, this budget is tragically comedic. Congress must reject Trump’s astounding public safety cuts to protect our water, food, and future.”