federal spending
Big coronavirus increases in SNAP and farm spending
The food stamp program will cost $145 billion this year, more than double its pre-pandemic total, due to expansion to combat the pandemic, estimated the CBO in updating its budget outlook. Mandatory agricultural spending was forecast at $48 billion this year, an increase of $17 billion from 2020.
Senate defeats White House bid to cut spending by $15 billion
Two Republicans joined the Democratic minority in the Senate on Wednesday to defeat a White House proposal to cut federal spending by $15 billion. The cuts were intended as a counterweight to the $1.3 trillion spending bill approved in March.
Plan for a smaller workforce, White House tells federal agencies
The White House told federal agencies to prepare to scale down employee numbers over the next four years in line with President Trump's proposal — expressed without much detail in mid-March — to slash discretionary spending, including a 21 percent cut at USDA. Budget director Mick Mulvaney said the reductions, part of a government reorganization, were "how you drain the swamp" — a catch phrase from last fall's presidential campaign.