President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson walk from Marine One to board Air Force One at Lawson Army Airfield, Fort Benning, Ga., Friday, March 8, 2019, en route Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., after visiting Lee County, Ala., where tornadoes killed 23 people. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will be making a significant request for border wall funds and seeking money to start up Space Force as a new branch of the military in the White House budget being released next week.
That’s according to an administration official who was unauthorized to discuss the document ahead of its release and spoke on condition of anonymity.
For the first time, Trump plans to stick with the strict spending caps imposed years ago, even though lawmakers have largely avoided them with new budget deals. That will likely trigger a showdown with Congress.
The official says the president’s plan promises to balance the budget in 15 years.
Trump will seek $750 billion for defense, while cutting non-defense discretionary spending by 5 percent, the official says. /muf