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Carper, Coons rally against Trump budget

Delaware Public Media

Delaware’s congressional delegation continues to rebel against President Donald Trump’s proposed budget.

At the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus, Sens. Tom Carper (D) and Chris Coons (D) are trying to rally support against the Trump Administration’s budget proposal.

In it, Trump wants to cut $54 billion from transportation, arts, foreign aid, education and more – all to reinvest in the military.

Despite the outcry from Democrats and some Republicans who will ultimately shape the budget, Coons says it’s important to demonstrate what could be lost from such a proposal.

“Although Congress may not adopt exactly what President Trump is proposing, there are still so many cuts across so many departments that will cause so much harm to our state of Delaware and the people of the United States I think we all should be concerned,” he said.

Among those programs are the competitive TIGER grants that help pay for transportation projects, like the upcoming Newark train station.

Cuts to federal research grants – which funds two-thirds of UD’s $135 million research budget – are also possible.

Carper says these programs are necessary job creators.

“These are regional programs, they’re not just Delaware programs. The Economic Development Administration is for the region, it’s for the metropolitan area, and the transportation stuff works for the whole northeast corridor,” Carper said.

The current federal budget is approved through the end of this month through a continuing resolution.

Work on a more permanent budget continues.