President Donald Trump has released his 2018 budget proposal for the U.S. government. With Trump’s promise to decrease taxes while lowering America’s national deficit, the 2018 budget will play a pivotal role in determining his ability to deliver on this statement.

A review of the 2018 proposed budget compared to 2017 is shown in the graph below.

Even with steep cuts to most Departments and Agencies, Trump’s overall proposed budget is only a .3% decrease from the 2017 budget. This is primarily caused by a proposed increase to Defense spending ($52 billion increase) as well as Homeland Security ($3 billion increase).

Let’s review the potential implications of Trump’s main proposed budget cuts to the Cabinet Departments and Agencies.

Department of Agriculture (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees sustainable agricultural production, protects the long-term availability of food and safeguards America’s forests and grasslands. It also plays a role in food safety and nutrition.

Trump proposes to cut the USDA funding by $4.7 billion, a decrease of 21%, to $17.9 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Continue funding the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which oversees America’s supply of meat, poultry and egg products;
• Decrease funding  for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) by $200 million ($6.4 billion to $6.2 billion);
• Reduce funding for The National Forest System and “lower priority activities”; and
• Eliminate the Water and Wastewater Loan and Grant program.

Department of Commerce (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Commerce promotes job creation and economic growth. Trump proposes to cut Commerce funding by $1.5 billion, a 16% decrease, to $7.8 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Increase funding by $100 million for the 2020 Decennial Census;
• Eliminate the Economic Development Administration;
• Eliminate the Minority Business Development Agency;
• Eliminate over $250 million in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants and programs supporting coastal and marine management, research and education; and
• Continue funding National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Department of Education (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Education promotes student achievement and access to educational opportunities. Trump proposes to cut Education funding by $9 billion, a 13% decrease, to $59 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Eliminate the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports before- and after-school programs as well as summer school;
• Eliminate the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program for need-based aid;
• Reduce Federal Work-Study significantly, which provides part-time employment to help college students in need;
• Continue funding Pell Grants;
• Reduce funding of TRIO programs, which benefit low-income, first-generation and disabled students;
• Reduce funding of GEAR UP program, which helps low-income students prepare for college;
• Continue funding Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with $13 billion; and
• Eliminate or reduce 20 programs, including Teacher Quality Partnership and Impact Aid Support Payment for Federal Property.

Department of Energy (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Energy ensures security and prosperity by overseeing energy, environmental and nuclear assets. Trump proposes to cut DOE funding by $1.7 billion, a decrease of 5.6%, to $28 billion.

It is worth noting that the proposed budget would redistribute funds for Department of Energy by increasing funds to the National Nuclear Security Administration while cutting other DOE programs by 17.9%. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Provide $6.5 billion in funding to modernize the nuclear security enterprise and clean up waste and contamination from energy research and nuclear weapons production;
• Reduce funding for Office of Science by $900 million, nearly 20%;
• Eliminate the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing programs;
• Provide $120 million in funding to restart activities for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository; and
• Additional unspecified funding cuts of $2 billion that may affect the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

Department of Health and Human Services (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is in charge of enhancing the health and well-being of Americans through sustained advances in the sciences of medicine, public health and social services. Trump proposes to cut HHS funding by $15.1 billion, a decrease of 17.9%, to $69 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Reduce funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $5.8 billion to $25.9 billion, which includes a “rebalance” of Federal contributions to research funding;
• Eliminate $400 million in health professions and nursing training programs;
• Eliminate discretionary programs within the Office of Community Services, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Community Services Block Grant;
• Increase of $500 million to expand opioid misuse prevention efforts and increase access to treatment and recovery services;
• Increase funding by $70 million for the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control program for Medicare and Medicaid; and
• Focus on efficient operations for Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program by targeting spending on the “highest priority activities.”

Department of Housing and Urban Development (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) promotes safe and affordable housing for Americans and access to homeownership opportunities. Trump proposes to cut HUD funding by $6.2 billion, a decrease of 13.2%, to $40.7 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Provide $35 billion to HUD’s rental assistance programs but create reforms that could cut direct rental assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers Program, by around $300 million;
• Eliminate funding for the Community Development Block Grant program;
• Eliminate funding for “lower priority programs” such as HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Choice Neighborhoods and the Homeownership Opportunity Program; and
• Eliminate funding for Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing.

Department of Justice (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) enforces the laws and defends the United States’ interests. Trump proposes to cut DOJ funding by $1.1 billion, a decrease of 3.8%, to $27.7 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Increase of $249 million for FBI funding, a 3% increase;
• Provide $80 million to hire 75 additional immigration judge teams to streamline removal proceedings for illegal immigrants;
• Enhance border security and immigration enforcement by adding 60 border enforcement prosecutors and 40 deputy U.S. Marshals to apprehend and prosecute “criminal aliens”;
• Eliminate around $700 million in spending on “outdated programs,” including $210 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program; and
• Increase bankruptcy-filing fees to produce an additional $150 million.

Department of Labor (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of Labor promotes the welfare of American workers and retiree’s by overseeing working conditions, benefits and wages. Trump proposes to cut Labor funding by $2.5 billion, a decrease of 21%, to $9.6 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Eliminate the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which trains low-income, unemployed seniors for a transition into unsubsidized employment;
• Expand Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments to save money by reducing improper unemployment insurance payments and “getting claimants back to work more quickly”;
• Close Job Corps centers for disadvantaged youth that “do a poor job educating and preparing students for jobs”;
• Decrease Federal support for job training and employment service grants; and
• Eliminate “less critical” technical assistance grants for the Office of Disability Employment Policy.

Department of State (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Department of State leads the country in foreign policy issues. Trump proposes to cut State Department funding by $11 billion, a decrease of 28%, to $27.1 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Eliminate the Global Climate Change Initiative and cease payments to the United Nations’ climate change programs;
• Reduce funding to United Nations (UN) and affiliate agencies, including UN peacekeeping;
• Refocus economic and development assistance to “countries of greatest strategic importance to the U.S.”;
• Reduce funding for the Education and Cultural Exchange; and
• Maintain funding levels for embassy security and apply $2.2 billion towards new embassy construction and maintenance.

The Environmental Protection Agency (Proposed 2018 Budget)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is focused on protecting the environment and human health. Trump proposes to cut EPA funding by $2.6 billion, a decrease of 31%, to $5.7 billion. The proposed funding would have the following impact:

• Eliminate funding for the Clean Power Plan, international climate change programs, climate change research and related efforts, which would save around $100 million;
• Reduce funding for EPA’s Hazardous Substance Superfund Account, which cleans the most contaminated land in America, to $762 million (a $330 million decrease);
• Reduce funding for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance by $129 million;
• Reduce EPA’s Office of Research and Development by around 50% to $250 million;
• Eliminate funding for regional efforts such as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Chesapeake Bay and other programs; and
• Eliminate more than 50 EPA programs to save $347 million, including the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, which tests chemicals that could pose serious threats to public health and the environment, and Energy Star.