Congressman Goodlatte issued the following statement Thursday on President Trump’s budget blueprint for Fiscal Year 2018:

President Trump ran on a platform of stronger national defense, reprioritizing domestic spending, and strengthening our nation’s borders. That is exactly what his budget blueprint released today does – he told America what he would do, and now he is following through on his promises. While I am still reviewing President Trump’s proposal and its impacts on the Sixth District specifically, this bold set of priorities is a strong step forward in reducing bureaucratic waste and ensuring a strong national defense. As a matter of policy, however, the President’s budget is just one plan of many that Congress will consider as it crafts the FY18 budget and individual appropriations bills. I look forward to working with leaders in the House to pass a fiscally responsible budget that balances, ensures that taxpayer dollars are spent effectively, keeps us safe from terrorist threats, protects our individual freedoms and liberties, and sets the stage for a healthier American economy.

Among many other unconscionable things, the budget blueprint “reprioritizes” out of existence federal funding for the Meals on Wheels program, which provides nutritious meals to elderly shut-ins. It does the same to the Appalachian Regional Commission, which has has boosted economic development and infrastructure in our region– including parts of the Sixth District– for more than 50 years.

There are a lot of other ways this budget would harm the people Goodlatte claims to represent in Congress.

Yet presumably knowing this, Goodlatte calls Trump’s proposal a “bold set of priorities” and a “strong step forward.”

Goodlatte’s phone number is (202) 225-5431. He is up for reelection on November 6, 2018.