Trumps proposed budget an all-out assault on our planet

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Donald Trump released his proposed budget, which guts funding for environmental protection and climate research, decimating agencies and programs dedicated to preserving our planet. Agencies targeted for drastic cuts include the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Friends of the Earth Senior Political Strategist Ben Schreiber offered the following in response to Trump’s proposed budget:

Donald Trump is using his office to hand the reins of government over to corporate polluters. History has repeatedly shown that corporations cannot be trusted to protect public health. Yet the Trump administration has used its budget to assault the agencies tasked with protecting America’s public health.

Eviscerating the budgets for the Environmental Protection Agency condemns millions of Americans to dirty water, unbreathable air, and the devastating impacts of climate change. If Trump gets his way, rising sea levels and natural disasters will cause famine, poverty, disease and death. The elimination of the environmental justice program at the EPA will increase pollution’s disproportionate impact on communities of color. Clean, drinkable water will no longer be an option for many Americans, as Trump’s budget eliminates programs that ensure the safety of drinking water. With this budget, Trump has made it clear that he is prioritizing Big Oil profits over the health of the American people.

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Expert contact: Ben Schreiber (202) 222-0752, [email protected]
Communications contact: Erin Jensen (202) 222-0722, [email protected]