President Trump’s budget proposal for 2021 would streamline the federal government by cutting wasteful spending, ensuring that the country continues its economic growth.
Through smarter and more strategic spending, the president’s “A Budget for America’s Future” released February 10 will cut wasteful programs by $4.6 trillion over the next 10 years. The more restrained approach will put the United States on a path to a balanced budget in 15 years.
The proposal requests nearly $41 billion for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — an amount that equips the United States “to win the great-power competition,” according to the State Department.
“As competition from rising powers increases, the budget seeks to bolster support for the Indo-Pacific Strategy; counter Chinese, Russian and Iranian malign influence; protect human rights and religious freedom; secure U.S. borders; and help America’s allies become stronger national security and economic partners,” the State Department said in a statement.
For too long, past administrations have engaged in excessive spending, the president said. Trump’s proposed 2021 budget continues the administration’s focus on cutting that wasteful spending by reducing duplication and eliminating agencies and programs that fail to show results.
An involved process
In the United States, the president gets the first word in proposing the federal budget. Congress determines how much taxpayer money will be spent and on which government programs before ultimately enacting appropriations.
“The president’s 2021 budget offers a restrained approach to spending, continuing to propose more cuts than any other administration in history, bringing spending back in line with historical averages,” the U.S. Office of Management and Budget said. “It will guarantee that America stays ahead of our global competitors and remains prosperous.”
