Denver, CO - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today released the following statement on President's Trump federal budget blueprint, which would increase defense spending by $54 billion by cutting funding from more than a dozen agencies.

"This budget is not a serious proposal to help our country compete in the 21st century economy." Bennet said. "Even members of the President's own party have called this dead on arrival. Cutting investments in infrastructure, environmental protection, research, and affordable housing isn't putting ‘America First.' Instead, this blueprint offers ideologically-driven cuts masquerading as deficit reduction. The President should abandon this plan and start working with Republicans and Democrats on responsible, bipartisan solutions to reduce our deficit while maintaining important investments in our country."

Among the proposed cuts that will affect Coloradans, President Trump's budget would slash funding for:

• The Environmental Protection Agency's climate change program, eliminating $330 million for the Superfund program and $129 million for enforcement activities to keep our air and water clean
• The Department of Energy's assistance to states, which promotes renewable energy and energy efficiency, particularly for low income households
• The Department of Education, including eliminating $2.4 billion for support and professional development for teachers and school leaders and cutting other important P-12 and higher education investments 
• The State Department, which is vital to advancing our national security interests and to keeping Americans safe around the world
• The Department of Agriculture's rural water and wastewater loan and grant program, which helps small rural communities extend and improve water and wastewater treatment facilities that serve local households and businesses
• The Department of Labor, specifically for job training and employment service formula grants
• The National Institutes of Health, eliminating $5.8 billion from efforts to research innovative cures for life-threatening diseases
• FEMA grant programs, such as FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program, which have helped fund the development of emergency preparedness and response plans for natural disasters and terrorism-related events
• Transportation Security Administration grants, which are available to state and local governments to enhance airport security
• The Community Development Block Grant program, which provides local governments funding for affordable housing, community development, and homelessness programs