10 Ways the President’s Budget Proposal Would Hurt New Hampshire Families

Yesterday, President Trump released his budget proposal, outlining the priorities of his Administration and indicating where the President thinks we need to be spending more, and less, in the federal budget.

Unfortunately, President Trump’s budget is built for corporate special interests, not hard-working families and small businesses. It makes indiscriminate cuts that will make it harder for entrepreneurs to grow job-creating small businesses, harder for low-income Granite Staters to keep safe and warm in winter, and harder for seniors to stay in their own homes and live independently. And it makes us less safe by cutting key national security programs.

There are many line items in the President’s budget proposal that would hurt New Hampshire families, but here are just 10 examples:

1. Harms Small Businesses, Start Ups, and Research & Development

The Small Business Administration is instrumental in helping New Hampshire businesses start up and grow. But President Trump wants to cut the budget of the SBA, decreasing the number of technical assistance grants it can provide and reducing the amount of loan guarantees to small business owners. President Trump’s budget proposal would also eliminate grants from within the Department of Commerce for innovative business ideas, manufacturing partnerships, and economic development. These steps would make it harder for Granite State entrepreneurs to grow job-creating small businesses and harm our efforts to attract and develop an innovative 21st century workforce.

2. Cuts $15 million from our public schools and increases higher education costs

The Effective Instruction State Grants program and 21st Century Community Learning Centers program are used to support and train our teachers, and fund after-school programs that expand student learning opportunities outside of the classroom. But President Trump’s budget would cut these programs entirely. The President’s budget would also eliminate the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program and make cuts to the work study program, which would cause thousands of Granite Staters currently pursuing a secondary degree to lose portions of their federal student aid.

3. Slashes funding for life-saving medical research

The Trump budget would the National Institute of Health (NIH) by nearly $6 billion, which would jeopardize life-saving biomedical research — including research on the heroin, fentanyl and opioid epidemic. The National Institute on Drug Abuse at NIH is specifically designed to “advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.” Slashing funds for the NIH, which is the world’s premier biomedical research institution, undermines work to address the heroin, fentanyl and opioid crisis and research to find treatments and cures for devastating diseases and conditions.

4. Cripples our ability to fight climate change

Climate change threatens New Hampshire’s economy, and our very way of life. From our beautiful Seacoast to the White Mountains, we have seen the impact of global warming throughout our state. Yet the Trump budget would eliminate ALL funding for “climate change research and international climate change programs.”

5. Eliminates the Northern Border Regional Commission

President Trump’s budget would eliminate the Northern Border Regional Commission, which has provided critical support to boost economic and community development and job creation in the North Country. The Commission has also provided important funding for treatment and recovery services in the region as we work to combat the heroin, fentanyl and opioid crisis. Eliminating the Northern Border Regional Commission would be harmful to the infrastructure needs and economic development efforts of our Northern region.

6. Slashes funding for the Meals on Wheels Program

In New Hampshire, Meals on Wheels delivers food to over 30,000 seniors. Our older citizens have made significant contributions to our communities, our economy, and our high quality of life, and we must provide the support they deserve. President Trump’s budget would slash funding for this program — putting the health and well-being of thousands of older Granite Staters at risk.

7. Eliminates LIHEAP and WAP

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a vital program that provides heating assistance to low-income New Hampshire families and seniors. LIHEAP has served 27,837 households in New Hampshire — helping to keep thousands of families warm on cold winter nights. Similarly, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) reduces energy costs, creates jobs, and improves the health and safety of Granite State families by using federal funding — and other funding — to weatherize homes across the Granite State. WAP has served over 3,100 Granite State homes since its inception. President Trump’s budget would eliminate LIHEAP and WAP, irresponsibility risking the health and safety of thousands of Granite Staters while cutting jobs and increasing energy costs.

8. Slashes funding for the TSA VIPR Teams

The TSA VIPR Teams are a key federal law enforcement group that patrol pre-checkpoint areas of airports. These teams are critical to protecting the safety and security of Americans, and I strongly disagree with President Trump’s proposal to significantly cut this program amid growing threats to our aviation system from terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

9. Eliminates TIGER Grants

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants helped to build the Memorial Bridge replacement. But President Trump’s budget proposal would eliminate these grants — jeopardizing New Hampshire’s ability to ensure that our transportation infrastructure meets the needs of a 21st century economy.

10. Cuts health care workforce training, which helps combat substance misuse

The President’s budget would undermine efforts to strengthen our health care workforce, which is critical to providing access to care as well as combating the heroin, fentanyl and opioid crisis. We know that in order to stem the tide of this deadly epidemic, we need to increase treatment capacity. One big step toward increasing treatment capacity is training more people to provide treatment — and other services — to those suffering from substance misuse. But the President’s budget would significantly cut funding for this type of workforce training.

President Trump’s budget is not fiscally responsible, it does not reflect New Hampshire’s economic priorities or America’s best interests, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that it does not become reality.