How Trump got crushed on the budget
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Here's how badly President Trump was defeated in his goal of reining in federal spending. His budget proposal called for deep spending cuts, except for a big increase in defense. Instead, as this visual shows, the omnibus spending bill he signed last week boosts spending in all major categories, including defense — leading to the $1.3 trillion budget Trump complained about.
The details: Per the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the bill includes a 13% increase in overall spending over last year, plus an additional $110 billion through what it calls "clear budget gimmickry."
What's next: Trump promised he would "never sign another bill like this again," and his next budget proposes deep cuts all over again. But Congress has already proven it's not ready to follow along — partly because Republicans can't pass spending bills without some Democratic votes, but also because the Republicans who write the spending bills have their own priorities.
