NEWARK – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the White House released President Trump’s budget for fiscal year 2021. For the third straight year, the Trump Administration is seeking to dismantle the United States’ international affairs budget, making America less safe and less secure:
“I am deeply disappointed that once again President Trump and Secretary Pompeo are seeking deep cuts to our national security budget, including close to $12 billion in State Department and foreign assistance spending. At a time when we are faced with a global health threat with the Coronavirus, the Trump administration is doubling down on its efforts to gut the very programs needed to protect American lives. This is not just short-sighted, it’s actually dangerous.
This budget proposal is a testament to an Administration that insists on approaching our nation’s foreign policy strictly through a political lens, and with a singular focus on withdrawing American leadership around the world. That may be a goal for the President and Secretary of State, but it sure isn’t a reflection of our nation’s values.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as we have had to do for the past three years, to develop a realistic and responsible budget to safeguard America’s place in the world, protect of security, extend our values and expand our prosperity.”
###