Category: The Federal Budget

“Dead on arrival”: The three words from Capitol Hill that greet almost every presidential budget. Even when dealing with a president of their own party, lawmakers are loath to relinquish the purse strings. They have the final say on all federal spending and financial priorities.

President Trump’s first full budget, unveiled this week, was received the same. Democrats tore into the document, as expected. But even key Republicans in both chambers welcomed the president’s input like a hiring manager accepts unsolicited resumes.

Continue reading “Trump Budget Poses Big Challenge to Republicans”

As is the case with most presidents, Donald Trump’s first budget proposal is already “dead on arrival” in Congress, with Democrats and many Republicans opposed to his plan – though for different reasons – to finance an increase in defense spending with steep cuts to several federal agencies.

And with the parties at odds over how and where to spend taxpayer money, expect another year in which Congress fails to pass a budget. Continue reading “Will GOP Sink Trump’s Budget?”

President Trump is racing ahead to make good on campaign promises, taking executive action to reform immigration policies, revive stalled oil pipeline projects, chip away at Obamacare and push along his highly publicized wall along the Mexico border.

But Congress is likely to pump the brakes on some of Trump’s big-ticket items, as fiscal hawks in his own party worry about the deficit and Democrats remain unwilling to cooperate with the new president. Continue reading “Will Republicans Stand with Trump on Spending?”