WASHINGTON (May 23, 2017) — The Trump administration issued its full Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal today. The proposal calls for a 31 percent budget cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, amounting to a $2.7 billion cut. It also looks to zero out discretionary spending for international organizations and includes an overall cut to the Department of Energy while boosting for its nuclear program.

Following is a statement from Sam Adams, U.S. Director, World Resources Institute:

“The new proposed budget is based not on evidence, but on ideology. It ignores the wealth of evidence that shows that protecting human health and the environment is good for people, the economy and national security.

"The biggest attack is on the Environmental Protection Agency, cutting its budget by 31 percent, slashing programs that protect air and water. Forty percent of Americans today live in areas with unhealthy air pollution, but this budget would only make things worse. Additional cuts to science and technology research and innovation will hurt farmers who face droughts, small business owners who deal with flooding, and millions of children who suffer from asthma.

"The administration’s budget undermines America’s security at home and interests overseas. It would eliminate support for institutions and programs that protect vulnerable communities and those suffering from extreme poverty, drought, famine, disease and conflict. This goes against values that have been supported across political aisles for decades.

“This budget should be a non-starter in Congress, whose members have a responsibility to follow an evidence-based approach to policymaking. Congress should restore the budget to align with the priorities of the vast majority of the American people who expect the government to protect public health, water, air and lands, and want to make the country stronger and more resilient in the future.”