White House Budget Director to Join U.S., Canada Trade Talks in Shadow of Possible Government Shutdown
WH Budget Director to discuss trade with Canada as Trump vows new federal budget must fund wall on southern border.
The Trump Administration’s head budget official joins other government and business leaders this week for a conference on the importance of border trade between the U.S. and Canada.
The meeting comes as the U.S. faces a possible shutdown of the federal government over budgetary and border concerns.
Experts say the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes region account for about a third of all the economic activity of the two nations.
Conducting that trade in what some Canadian officials call “turbulent times” is a theme of the three-day Great Lakes Economic Forum being held in Detroit and Windsor.
President Trump has blasted Canada for imposing tariffs on dairy products that he says are putting U.S. farmers out of business.
The President has also proposed cutting funding for an initiative to restore the Great Lakes.
“I have expressed concerns (about cuts in) the Great Lakes funding, some of the other programs like that. I appreciate their challenges…I just encourage Washington to work better together and get a budget done.” – Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder
The conference features an appearance by White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.
He says Trump might refuse to sign a bill to keep the federal government operating if it does not include funding for his proposed wall along the nation’s southern border with Mexico.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he worries the state will suffer if certain items proposed by the Trump Administration are included in the forthcoming federal budget.
Besides the proposed elimination of funding designed to help restore the Great Lakes, the budget would also cut roughly a third of the funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Snyder noted at an event in Harrison Township held by the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce that he has asked White House officials to take a second look at the Trump Administration’s budgetary priorities.
“I have expressed concerns (about) the Great Lakes funding, some of the other programs like that,” Snyder says. “I appreciate their challenges…I just encourage Washington to work better together and get a budget done. (Michigan is) a good role model for that.”
The President’s proposed budget would also cut funding for after-school programs, low income heating assistance and community development grants.
Administration officials say the proposals would rid the government of wasteful and duplicative programs.
