Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.
Reports: Trump to Propose 24% Cut in EPA Spending
The agency’s staffing levels would fall to 12,000 workers.
1 Min Read
According to multiple reports, the Trump administration is set to propose a 24 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. The plan would result in a 20 percent reduction in the size of the EPA’s staff.
The agency’s staffing levels would fall to 12,000 workers, from 15,000 currently, according to the reports.
Trump will also propose cut to foreign aid and a 30 percent reduction in the State Department’s budget, leading even some Republican legislators to say the budget is unlikely to gain approval in its current form.
"It's dead on arrival – It's not going to happen," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., according to NBC News. "It would be a disaster."
The Hill has more on the proposed EPA cuts:
The Trump administration has said it plans to target EPA climate programs expanded under President Obama. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said this weekend that he would work to end several regulatory efforts that the agency has in the works.
If the EPA cuts are realized, the agency’s budget would be at its lowest level since the early 1990s, and its staffing levels would be lower than any time since the 1980s.
It’s unclear if Congress will be willing to accept cuts as deep as those Trump is set to propose for the EPA.
The House Appropriations Committee in 2015 sought to cut the agency’s funding by $718 million, an amount far smaller than the White House will propose.
About the Author
You May Also Like
