Boston (March 20, 2017) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released a new analysis on the budget released last week by the Trump administration that calls for a $54 billion increase in defense spending, with drastic budget cuts to agencies such as the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Energy, among many others. Because Massachusetts receives a disproportionate amount of federal funding for its world-renowned education, health, and research institutions, the cuts outlined in the Trump budget would have a devastating impact on the economy of the Commonwealth. For example, Massachusetts leads the nation in per capita National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, with 190 institutions receiving funds in 2016. Massachusetts also wins a disproportionate share of the competitive funding awarded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is targeted with a 17 percent cut. 

A copy of the report, “Massachusetts Last: The Impacts of the Trump Budget on the Commonwealth” can be found HERE.

“President Trump’s dangerous and disastrous budget contradicts every core value of our Commonwealth and directly assaults our economy,”said Senator Markey. “The Massachusetts business plan relies on investments in health care, education, scientific research and innovation, but this budget takes a sledgehammer to those sectors. Massachusetts is a bio-tech, clean-tech, high-tech hub, and this budget puts our economy directly in the crosshairs.” 

Highlights from the report include:

• An 18 percent budget cut at NIH could mean $463 million less in NIH funding for Massachusetts, 34 fewer NIH-funded institutions, 905 fewer NIH grants awarded, $14.4 million less in funds to train the next generation of science researchers, and 17 fewer NIH-supported clinical trials could start in 2018.
• A 9.8 percent cut in funding at the National Science Foundation to Massachusetts could mean the Bay State’s institutions lose out on upwards of $43 million and the additional dollars that funding leverages.
• There are 34 active or proposed toxic superfund sites in Massachusetts. A 30 percent cut to the Superfund applied to Massachusetts could mean ten toxic sites lose access to critical cleanup services.
• The elimination of Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program will hurt Massachusetts students, teachers, and school administrators. Boston Public Schools alone received $5.7 million through this grant program last year, serving 56,000 students.
• The elimination of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants program would mean that Massachusetts could lose tens of millions of dollars in federal funding to improve commuter rail service, replace dangerous freight rail bridges, and alleviate congestion on our roadways.
• The elimination of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will cost the Commonwealth roughly $149 million and leave nearly 200,000 Massachusetts families out in the cold.
• The elimination of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program would cut off $16 million in federal funding to Massachusetts Community Action Agencies. Services provided to 625,142 low-income individuals across the Commonwealth would be in jeopardy, including 77,940 people with disabilities, 126,519 seniors, and 187,922 children.