Hoyer Floor Remarks on the Trump Budget

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Trump Administration released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2021. It was titled, 'A Budget for America’s Future,' but its vision for that future is bleak. Its vision of the future is the true 'American carnage' that President Trump described in his Inaugural Address. It envisions an America that is less than it can or should be. It envisions an America where working families are left to struggle while the wealthy continue to prosper.

Statement from Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on President Donald J. Trump’s Budget: A Budget for America’s Future

President Trump’s dedication to the success of all Americans has fostered an unprecedented period of growth for our economy and created the biggest economic boom in our nation’s history. The President’s 2021 Budget for America’s Future exemplifies his bold leadership and commitment to tackling the big structural issues that will allow every American to have equal and limitless opportunities to succeed.

This budget codifies the President’s commitment to protecting the interest of American taxpayers by putting us on the path to a balanced budget, including making tough choices to balance the budget in 15 years and $4.6 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. By putting more money in the pockets of American’s through historic tax cuts and eliminating burdensome and unnecessary bureaucratic regulations, we can promote prosperity for all Americans for generations to come.

At the Department of Commerce, we will continue to rout out wasteful and unnecessary spending in our organization. This will ensure that we are supporting and promoting American businesses and communities to reach previously unrealized prosperity in an effective and efficient manner. Combined with this budget’s $51 billion in regulatory savings across the Federal Government, American’s will continue to have more opportunities for success because of this President than any other.

Hoyer said; "The President's Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Is Replete with Dangerous Proposals That Leave Working Families to Fend for Themselves"

“President
Trump’s FY2021 budget is replete with dangerous proposals that leave
working families to fend for themselves in a changing and uncertain
economy.  This budget makes the President’s priorities clear: the
wealthiest Americans come first ahead of working Americans who are
trying to get by and get ahead.  It is another manifestation of his
broken promises to the American people to improve their health care,
safeguard Medicare, and eliminate the national debt.  His budget cuts
Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, nutrition
assistance, student loan assistance, and a host of other priorities in
order to offset the deficits caused by his tax cuts for the wealthy. 

“The President and his Republican allies in Congress promised that their
tax cuts for the wealthiest would pay for themselves and not cause
higher deficits because the benefits directed toward the wealthy would
eventually trickle down to workers and boost economic activity.  This
budget makes no mention of them, a tacit acknowledgement that this
President is now trying to run away from their dismal consequences.  In
the last month, two reports from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the
nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showed how far
projections of the tax cuts’ alleged benefits were from reality. 
Working Americans have not seen the promised trickle-down benefits, and
economic activity has failed to achieve the President’s lofty goals.
 Rather than admit their policy failure, this budget doubles down on
this fantasy by asserting that our economy will grow nearly 40% more
over the next decade than the CBO projects.  Yet even when coupled with
the extreme spending cuts included in the President’s FY2021 budget, he
still cannot overcome the massive deficits caused by his tax cuts to
balance the budget. 

“Last year, House Democrats passed legislation to fund 96% of the
government before the end of June, and we worked successfully with the
Republican Senate and this White House to avert a shutdown and reach a
bipartisan budget agreement that will govern this year’s topline
spending levels.  I would have hoped that, in that same spirit, the
President’s budget would have reflected an honest desire to work
together and deliver for the people we serve.  Instead, in addition to
breaking the bipartisan budget agreement, it is little more than a
partisan wish-list full of Republicans’ worst ideas to make the most
vulnerable in our economy pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.  That’s a
shame.”

NASA Administrator Statement on Moon to Mars Initiative, FY 2021 Budget

“President Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget for NASA is worthy of 21st century exploration and discovery. The President’s budget invests more than $25 billion in NASA to fortify our innovative human space exploration program while maintaining strong support for our agency’s full suite of science, aeronautics, and technology work.

“The budget proposed represents a 12 percent increase and makes this one of the strongest budgets in NASA history. The reinforced support from the President comes at a critical time as we lay the foundations for landing the first woman and the next man on the South Pole of the Moon by 2024. This budget keeps us firmly on that path.

“We are preparing to achieve pivotal milestones this year in development of the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and the Gateway. These make up the backbone of our Artemis program and are fully supported by this budget. They constitute our ability to build a sustainable lunar presence and eventually send human missions to Mars.

“Most noteworthy, is the President’s direct funding of more than $3 billon for the development of a human landing system. This is the first time we have had direct funding for a human lander since the Apollo Program. We are serious about our 2024 goals, and the President’s budget supports our efforts to get the job done.

“We soon will launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil for the first time in nearly a decade. This recaptured ability will not only allow us to do more science and more exploration than ever before, but will also broaden commercial activity in low-Earth orbit to support ever greater private partnerships.

“As we prepare to celebrate 20 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station this year, we will continue to look for ways to partner with private enterprise and give more people access to the unique environment microgravity offers. Similarly, when we go to the Moon in the next four years, we are interested in taking the world with us. This includes those involved in our Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and the international relationships we have forged over the decades.

“The FY 2021 budget positions NASA to spearhead a new era of human space exploration without focusing funds on one program at the expense of others. This all-of-NASA approach to the future will help us take advantage of all the exciting, new horizons emerging in science, aeronautics, and technology.

“The decadal survey priorities are strongly supported by this budget, including history’s first Mars sample return mission, the Europa Clipper, and development of a host of new trailblazing Earth observation missions. In aeronautics, the budget backs all our cutting-edge research on commercial use of supersonic aircraft, all-electric airplanes, and development of an unmanned aerial system that will make flying small drones safer and more efficient in the 21st century.

“NASA is on the cusp of embarking on era-defining exploration. The civilization-changing technology we develop will deepen humanity’s scientific knowledge of the universe and how to take care of our ever changing world.

“I am confident the FY 2021 budget’s proper investment in our agency’s priorities, coupled with your unmatched talents and expertise, will strengthen our national posture for continued space preeminence and, as President Trump said during his State of the Union speech last week, help our nation embrace the next frontier.”

 To learn more about NASA’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/budget

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BUDGET MAKES KEY INVESTMENTS IN AMERICA’S WORKFORCE

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor released the following statement regarding President Donald J. Trump's fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget.

"The President's Budget sets forth the Administration's plan for uplifting America's workers," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. "Whether it's expanding access to apprenticeship programs, helping our transitioning service members enter the next phase of their careers, or providing options for paid family leave, the President's Budget creates more opportunity for America's workers to thrive in today's strong economy. And it does so in a fiscally responsible manner that also furthers the Department's enforcement efforts."

The President's Budget makes targeted investments in programs by increasing resources to safeguard working conditions; protecting health benefits, retirement and wages; advancing veterans' career opportunities; and reforming or eliminating unproven, ineffective or duplicative programs.

The FY 2021 discretionary budget request for the Department of Labor is $11.1 billion. This funding, in addition to mandatory investments and reforms, supports the Department's mission to help Americans achieve careers, to protect the safety and financial security of American workers, and to ensure the American workforce can meet the needs of job-creators to sustain economic growth.

FY 2021 Department of Labor Budget Highlights:

• Continues to close the skills gap by investing $200 million in apprenticeships, a proven earn-while-you-learn strategy that prepares workers with the skills and experience needed to fill high-paying jobs in high-demand fields. The budget also proposes to double the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act fee for the H-1B program in order to support the department's grants to expand apprenticeship in high-growth sectors where apprenticeships are underutilized, such as healthcare, information technology, and advanced manufacturing.
• Invests in our Nation's veterans, transitioning service members, and their spouses by increasing funding for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service. This increase would help support wounded warriors with curriculum tailored specifically to assist service members facing medical separation in their employment situation.
• Includes a proposal to provide six weeks of paid parental leave to new parents, including adoptive parents. This proposal will allow states to establish paid parental leave programs in a way that is most appropriate for their workforce and economy and will give families time to recover from childbirth and bond with a new child.
• Ensures American workers get the fair, safe, and healthful workplace that they deserve by effectively enforcing worker protection laws. This includes:
  • $577 million for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and $382 million for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to help prevent worker injuries,  illnesses and fatalities through enforcement, outreach and compliance assistance. OSHA's budget includes an increase for additional investigators for protecting whistleblowers' rights.
  • $244 million to the Wage and Hour Division (WHD), helping fund the department's active role in supporting implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). WHD's increased funding will enable it to write the regulations and establish an enforcement program for wage-related components of provisions in the USMCA.
  • $193 million for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), including additional resources for enforcement and administration of Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements. This increase will help EBSA investigate benefit plans and intervene when necessary before participants face unpaid claims or catastrophic losses.
  • $50 million to the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) to restore its investigative workforce and strengthen protections for union members by supporting more audits and investigations to uncover flawed officer elections, fraud and embezzlement. This increase will help OLMS fulfill its statutory responsibility spelled out in the 1959 Landrum Griffin Act.
• Improves the Department's efficiency by modernizing critical IT systems that will reduce long-run costs. Specific projects across several agencies in the Department will update and centralize IT processes to deliver on the President's Management Agenda priority of IT modernization. Establishing an IT Working Capital Fund will ensure transparency in IT spending with no impact on total Departmental spending.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.