Oregon lawmakers react to President Trump's budget proposal

Washington, D.C. – Oregon lawmakers are expressing their opinions about President Donald Trump’s budget plan.

The proposal calls for Congress to spend around $4.1 trillion. While that’s not a relative increase from the previous budget, funds would be shifted and others slashed over the next ten years.

President Trump is calling for more defense, border security and infrastructure spending. In addition, he wants to create a federal paid family leave program.

While increasing spending in some areas, the budget would see cuts to domestic research programs and safety net programs, such as food stamps and Social Security disability insurance benefits.

The budget was proclaimed a disaster by Oregon Democrat Senator Jeff Merkley. He said President Trump’s Medicaid cuts would devastate millions of families, adding cuts to Social Security benefits would “place an untold number of families just one accident or chronic disease away from financial devastation.”

Republican Senator Greg Walden disagreed, saying in part, “This budget proposal demonstrates President Trump’s commitment to balancing the budget and responsibly prioritizing taxpayer dollars.”

Democrat Senator Ron Wyden called the proposal as a “cynical assault on American ideas.” He tweeted a photo of the budget in a recycle bin with the caption “This is where the #TrumpBudget belongs.”