Washington, D.C.—Justin Bogie, Heritage senior policy analyst in fiscal affairs, responded Monday to President Trump's FY2020 budget:

 

"The American people deserve a federal budget that is fiscally sound and that funds constitutionally-mandated national priorities, including full funding for the military. President Trump’s budget is a significant down payment on the restoration of fiscal sustainability, but it doesn’t include reforms to address structural problems with entitlement programs, which are necessary to reverse our growing national debt.

 

"The president’s FY 2020 budget reduces overall spending by $2.7 trillion over the next 10 years, along with supporting many conservative priorities. The budget also balances by FY 2034.

 

"However, it is disappointing that this budget will not balance in the next 10 years. It will reduce overall base discretionary spending by $249 billion but only by spending on emergencies and Overseas Contingency Operations, which is supposed to be reserved for war funding, by $577 billion, for a total increase of 1.9 percent. This is both unsustainable and continues a pattern established by Congress of ignoring budgetary rules. Furthermore, the more than $1.6 trillion of the $2.2 trillion in mandatory savings does not occur until after FY 2024.

 

"Many in Congress believe that it is necessary to spend hundreds of billions of dollars over the next two years in order to prevent a sequester of the military. This is simply not true. The Heritage Blueprint for Balance provides a path to fully fund the military while reducing spending and cutting taxes."