President Trump's proposed 2018 budget was released on Tuesday. It includes cuts to benefit programs including Medicaid, farm subsidies and welfare benefits.
The budget includes a $193 billion cut to food stamps over the next decade, a decrease of more than 25 percent. Eligibility and work requirements would also change.
Garland Egerton, executive director of Wichita's Inter-Faith Ministries, says it’s still early, but the proposed cutbacks would significantly impact safety net programs. He says even at Inter-Faith’s homeless or low-income shelters, a lot of folks are already working -- often at minimum wage jobs.
“And when you are only able to work at a minimum wage job, you cannot afford the house, you cannot afford the transportation, you cannot afford the food," Egerton says. "These type of programs are important to help people get established so they can move forward. Cutbacks have a direct impact on people’s abilities to move forward.”
Related: Trump Budget Proposes Deep Cuts To Safety Nets With 'Taxpayer First' Budget Plan
Egerton says the proposed budget would have implications on Kansas farmers as well: President Trump's plan would cut the Department of Agriculture's budget by 21 percent. Congress will need to approve the budget.
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Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
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