The White House has said it will beef up defense spending by a massive $54 billion (51 billion euros). Meanwhile, the government will cut funding for foreign aid and domestic programs.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday during a meeting with state governors at the White House that his new budget proposal would focus on public safety and national security while cutting what he considers to be wasteful spending elsewhere within the government.
The new budget "will include a historic increase in defense spending to rebuild the depleted military of the [US] at a time when we most need it. This defense spending increase will be off-set and paid for by finding greater savings and efficiencies across the government," Trump said.
"We're going to do more with less and make the government lean and accountable to the people," he added. "We can do so much more with the money we spend." Trump also emphasized that he would focus on revamping the US's ageing infrastructure, which he often decried during his 2016 campaign.
The announcement comes days after Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he raised eyebrows after doubling down on his views of migration and the media.
$54 billion increase
Also on Monday, an anonymous White House official confirmed to reporters during a conference call that the White House was seeking to increase defense spending by a massive $54 billion - a roughly 10 percent increase. The official echoed Trump's promise that the new budget would be implemented simultaneously with cuts across other government agencies, as well as to foreign aid.
The US military already spends significantly more on defense than any other country.
The defense budget will be officially unveiled to Congress next month and is sure to set off a political battle in Washington, with Democrats likely to oppose cuts to certain agencies and programs, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State Department.
The proposed increase goes along with a frequent campaign promise by Trump to beef up the military. During a speech to conservative activists on Friday, Trump said he would lead "one of the greatest military buildups in American history."
US President Donald Trump said on Monday during a meeting with state governors at the White House that his new budget proposal would focus on public safety and national security while cutting what he considers to be wasteful spending elsewhere within the government.
The new budget "will include a historic increase in defense spending to rebuild the depleted military of the [US] at a time when we most need it. This defense spending increase will be off-set and paid for by finding greater savings and efficiencies across the government," Trump said.
"We're going to do more with less and make the government lean and accountable to the people," he added. "We can do so much more with the money we spend." Trump also emphasized that he would focus on revamping the US's ageing infrastructure, which he often decried during his 2016 campaign.
The announcement comes days after Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he raised eyebrows after doubling down on his views of migration and the media.
$54 billion increase
Also on Monday, an anonymous White House official confirmed to reporters during a conference call that the White House was seeking to increase defense spending by a massive $54 billion - a roughly 10 percent increase. The official echoed Trump's promise that the new budget would be implemented simultaneously with cuts across other government agencies, as well as to foreign aid.
The US military already spends significantly more on defense than any other country.
The defense budget will be officially unveiled to Congress next month and is sure to set off a political battle in Washington, with Democrats likely to oppose cuts to certain agencies and programs, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State Department.
The proposed increase goes along with a frequent campaign promise by Trump to beef up the military. During a speech to conservative activists on Friday, Trump said he would lead "one of the greatest military buildups in American history."
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