National (U.S.)

"Agriculture leaders including lawmakers from President Donald Trump's Republican Party on Thursday criticized his planned 21 percent cut to discretionary spending at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), saying it could take a toll on the rural communities that helped elect him last November."

"President Donald Trump is proposing to cut or eliminate several key federal infrastructure programs despite repeated vows to increase spending on roads, utilities and other vital facilities."

"President Trump's proposed plan to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from the federal budget would "initially devastate and ultimately destroy" the role of public media in American life, the organization's president said Thursday."

"President Trump's proposed budget for Fiscal 2018 was roundly criticized Thursday by the nation's environmental and conservation community, which said not only that it would "undermine" and be a "disinvestment" in public lands, but could lead to operational reductions across the National Park System. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, however, said it represents a "savings" for taxpayers."

"Before he became president, Donald J. Trump called climate change a hoax, questioned the safety of vaccines and mocked renewable energy as a plaything of “tree-huggers.” So perhaps it is no surprise that Mr. Trump’s first budget took direct aim at basic scientific and medical research."

"If there was any doubt over President Trump's views on climate change, those doubts evaporated with the unveiling of his proposed federal budget on Thursday."

"No agency in the federal government fared worse under Thursday’s proposed budget than the Environmental Protection Agency."

"The Republican climate resolution that jump-started a conversation on global warming ahead of Pope Francis' 2015 visit to Capitol Hill is back."

"The White House’s fiscal 2018 budget plan for the U.S. Department of Energy includes $120 million to restart licensing for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in Nevada, a project stalled for years by lawsuits and local opposition."

"The United States’ top independent science experts have blessed a draft Obama administration climate science report — left behind for the Trump administration to finish — that presents a strong contrast to inaccurate scientific claims by President Trump’s top environmental official."