BY POLLY MANN
People may be sick of reading about him but here’s a small item.
The Trump Administration is proposing a $54 billion increase in the arms budget. (I refuse to call it “defense” spending because it is not that.) One of the results is a deficit budget of about $500 billion. But not to worry, we’ve got the cash, only it’s marked “Social Security” and “Medicare.” Do we suppose those people who will be negatively affected will sleep better because the nation is well-armed? The leader has spoken: “We will be substantially upgrading all of our military, all of our military, offensive, defensive, everything, bigger and better and stronger than ever before.”
In the U.S. Congress there’ll be some push-back from Democrats and a few Republicans, but the majority—if not all—of congressional members are millionaires, and complaints about the cuts will not be too loud. The treasury secretary said the expected cuts to Social Security and Medicare will not be part of the administration’s first budget. They are bound to create deficits but they will be dealt with in due time. In the campaign Mr. T promised huge tax cuts, but top GOP leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan don’t want this year’s tax “reform” drive to add to the budget deficit. In Congress, Democrats and some Republicans are certain to resist the cuts to domestic agencies, and any legislation to implement them would have to overcome a filibuster threat by Senate Democrats. According to some, a government shut-down is a real threat. Though they may be present in some material, I have not seen the words, “global warming” or “environmental issues” in the T literature.
There will be some insignificant expenditures like the cost of flying officials to Mr. T’s southern White House and entertaining them there—the cost of a Mexican-American wall or—the living expenses of Mrs. T, who has chosen not to live in Washington. Maybe a penthouse in New York? Or the estate at Mar-A-Lago, Fla.
Hold on tight. It’ll be rough-riding for the next few years.
