The director of the Office of Management and Budget said most federal agencies will face cuts. Overall, non-defense agencies will collectively see their discretionary spending cut by 10 percent in FY2018. This is on top of spending limits set by the 2011 Budget Control Act. Here is a breakdown of what specific agencies may see, in terms of budget and workforce cuts.
Coast Guard
They fall under the Department of Homeland Security and could face a 14 percent cut to its $7.8 billion budget. They are the lone military service to face cuts, with other national security agencies seeing their budget increase by $54 billion.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA could face an 11 percent cut under the plans amounting to a $370 million decrease in budget. One area that faces cuts is the agency’s port transit security system.
Transportation Security Administration
The TSA is facing an 11 percent reduction equaling $500 million in cuts. Spending has leveled off in recent years and Congress has frozen its hiring in two consecutive omnibus spending deals. The new cuts would focus on slashing behavioral detection programs, the agency’s armed pilot program—training intended to prepare pilots for an armed takeover of their planes, and local law enforcement grants to airports. However, there is also an increase proposal. With this proposal, there would be a $1 increase to a TSA security fee, estimated to generate an extra $470 million.
J. David Cox, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (they represent most TSA employees) said, “President Trump promised to ‘make America safe again’ but the drastic budget cuts he’s proposing will do just the opposite. You don’t improve security by slashing budgets for programs that prevent terrorists from hijacking airplanes, keep illegal narcotics off your streets, and counter violent extremists in our neighborhood.”
Environmental Protection Agency
They are facing budget cuts of 25 percent and workforce reductions of 20 percent. The agency would use buyouts, RIF’s, and other means to cut its employees. Grants to states would also be reduced by 30 percent and nearly two dozen programs/grants would be eliminated entirely, including President Obama’s Clean Power Plan Implementation Energy Star grants and the Office of Public Engagement.
State Department
The State Department is facing a drastic 37 percent cut spread out over three years. In FY2018, State and the U.S. Agency for International Development would see a 20 percent reduction. An OMB official said recently the Trump administration will expect the “rest of the world to step up” to fund programs the U.S. previously supported.
Commerce Department
They are facing an 18 percent cut with most of that coming from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Significant savings would come from reductions in its satellite data division and research team. The National Marine Fisheries Service and National Weather Service would only see five percent cuts. The budget also proposes a 1.9 percent pay raise specifically for Commerce employees.
Interior Department
The Interior Department is facing a 10 percent reduction. The Interior secretary Ryan Zinke told employees he plans to “fight” these proposed budget cuts.
On the other side to these cuts, the Department of Homeland Security would see its budget increased by six percent. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would see its budget increased by 36 percent and Customs and Border Protection would see a 27 percent increase. This money would go towards hiring more Border Patrol and ICE Agents and support staff.
These proposed budget and workforce cuts, and increases are just that; proposed. There will likely be changes to these proposals as they move through Congress. The OMB director said the White House will release its budget proposal for the coming fiscal year on March 16, 2017.
