Michael Hiltzik: Trump's budget proposal shreds Social Security and Medicaid benefits
In accordance with the old adage that budgets are political documents, President Trump's budgets are windows into his political id.
Trump's proposed $4.8-trillion budget for the 2021 fiscal year makes his intentions crystal clear: He means to shred the federal safety net for the poor and the sick.
The budget proposal released Monday calls for drastic cuts in Social Security and Medicaid benefits, as well as in a program protecting defrauded student loan borrowers.
Medicare spending will also be cut, although the extent to which the reductions would affect benefits is unclear.
These cuts all are presented under the heading, "Restrain spending to protect and respect American taxpayers." Who are the taxpayers Trump is talking about? The wealthy, whose take from the 2017 tax cuts won't be affected one whit.
Trump's budget proposal was depicted in some press coverage as a walk-back of his promises to protect social insurance programs from cuts. ("We will not be touching your Social Security or Medicare in Fiscal 2021 Budget," he tweeted
