Blueprint for Balance: A FEDERAL BUDGET FOR FY 2018 The Heritage Foundation © 2017 by The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 546-4400 | heritage.org All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-89195-163-6 Contents Contributors .................................................................................................................................................... ix Introduction: Blueprint for Balance ........................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1: Policies for a Congressional Budget ........................................................... 5 Chapter 2: Budget Proposals ..........................................................................................................13 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Repeal the USDA Catfish Inspection Program ........................................................................................16 Eliminate the Conservation Technical Assistance Program..................................................................17 Eliminate the Rural Business Cooperative Service.................................................................................18 Prohibit Funding for National School Meal Standards ............................................................................................ and the Community Eligibility Provision 19 Withhold Funding for Federal Fruit and Vegetable Supply Restrictions ............................................20 Repeal the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs .......................................21 Include Work Requirement for Able-Bodied Adult Food Stamp Recipients ......................................22 End Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility for Food Stamps ....................................................................23 Eliminate the “Heat and Eat” Loophole in Food Stamps ......................................................................24 Eliminate the Federal Sugar Program.......................................................................................................25 Eliminate Revenue-Based Crop Insurance Policies ................................................................................26 Eliminate the Market Access Program .....................................................................................................27 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Eliminate the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ..........................................................30 Eliminate Grants within the Office of Justice Programs .......................................................................31 Eliminate Violence Against Women Act Grants ......................................................................................32 Eliminate the Legal Services Corporation ...............................................................................................33 Reduce Funding for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division ..............................................34 Reduce Funding for the Department of Justice’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division ............................................................................................................35 Eliminate the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Services ..............................................36 Reduce Funding for the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ...................................................................................37 Eliminate the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership ............................................................38 Eliminate the International Trade Administration ................................................................................39 Eliminate the Economic Development Administration .........................................................................40 Eliminate the Minority Business Development Agency ........................................................................41 Eliminate Census Bureau Funding for the Annual Supplemental Poverty Measure Report ...........42 Defense Cut Non-Defense Spending from the Defense Department Budget ....................................................46 Combine Military Exchanges and Commissaries and Reduce Commissary Subsidies .....................48 Close Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools .........................................................49 Blueprint for Balance: A FEDERAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018 iii Reform Military Health Care .....................................................................................................................50 Increase Use of Performance-Based Logistics .........................................................................................51 Return Defense Agencies to 2011 Levels .................................................................................................52 Reduce Excess Base Infrastructure ...........................................................................................................53 Reform the Basic Allowance for Housing .................................................................................................54 End Renewable Energy Mandates in the Department of Defense .......................................................55 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Focus the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Spending on Weapons Programs ...........................................................................................................58 Return Funding for the DOE Office of Nuclear Physics to FY 2008 Levels .......................................59 Return Advanced Scientific Computing Research to FY 2008 Levels .................................................60 Eliminate the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy Program .......................................61 Drastically Cut or Eliminate the DOE Biological and Environmental Research Program and Shift Remaining Programs to Office of Science ..........................................................................62 Reduce Funding for the DOE Basic Energy Sciences Program .............................................................64 Eliminate DOE Energy Innovation Hubs .................................................................................................65 Eliminate the DOE Office of Electricity Deliverability and Energy Reliability .................................66 Eliminate the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy ............................................67 Eliminate the DOE Office of Fossil Energy .............................................................................................68 Eliminate the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and Shift Remaining Activities to Offices of Science and Civilian Radioactive Waste Management ................................................69 Eliminate DOE Funding for Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs ..........................................................................71 Liquidate the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the Northeastern Home Heating and Gasoline Supply Reserves ...............................................................................................................72 Auction Off the Tennessee Valley Authority ............................................................................................73 Auction Off the Four Remaining Power Marketing Administrations ..................................................74 Financial Services and General Government Eliminate the Small Business Administration’s Disaster Loans Program ..........................................78 Reform the Securities and Exchange Commission .................................................................................79 Eliminate the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund ...............................................80 Eliminate the Export–Import Bank ..........................................................................................................81 Eliminate Funding for the Multi-State Plan Program ...........................................................................82 Protect Freedom of Conscience in the District of Columbia ................................................................83 Expand the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program ................................................................................84 Homeland Security Eliminate Fire Grants ..................................................................................................................................88 Reduce Funding for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund..................................................................................89 Refocus Science and Technology on Meeting DHS Needs and Using Private-Sector Developments .............................................................................................90 Streamline FEMA Grant Programs ...........................................................................................................91 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Eliminate Nine Climate Programs ............................................................................................................94 Eliminate Funding for Two EPA Research Programs ............................................................................95