The White House Feb. 12 released its proposed fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget.

Over the next decade, the $4.4 trillion budget would severely cut many programs that family farmers and ranchers and rural Americans rely on, including $48.6 billion from farm bill programs, $3.7 billion from the USDA, $213 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), $554 billion from Medicare and $250 billion from Medicaid. These proposed cuts come on the heels of a massive tax cut for corporations and wealthy Americans, as well as the fifth straight year of projected declines in net farm income.

Regarding the proposed budget, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said:

“To say that this budget is disappointing is an understatement. This administration has consistently demonstrated a lack of support for the most vulnerable populations, and this plan is just more of the same. It is frankly disgusting that the government has offered corporations and the wealthiest among us a $1.5 trillion gift in the form of tax cuts while proposing deep cuts to programs so important for low- and middle-income Americans.”

View this NFU news release online.

— Adapted from a release by Hannah Packman, National Farmers Union.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal.