This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Washington • Despite his much-touted plans to spur dramatic increases in infrastructure investment, President Donald Trump's budget would actually cut more federal spending on such programs than it would add, according to an analysis by Senate Democrats.

In the budget the Republican president formally unveiled Tuesday, he proposes to spend $200 billion over the coming decade to make good on a campaign promise to spur $1 trillion in new investments in roads, bridges, airports, waterways and other ailing infrastructure across the country.

Under Trump's theory, the new federal spending would prompt private companies and state and local governments to scale up their spending many times over.

An analysis released by the office of Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., however, cites $206 billion in cuts to an array of infrastructure programs included in Trump's budget document over the coming decade.

The cuts include several transportation programs, including reductions to the Highway Trust Fund. Trump also proposes the elimination of a discretionary grant program launched by President Barack Obama that was slated to spend nearly $500 million a year on highways, public transit and other projects.

Other spending categorized as infrastructure by Schumer includes funding for Community Development Block Grants, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public housing repairs and revitalization, and about a dozen other programs.

A spokesman for the Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under Trump's infrastructure initiative, new federal funding would ramp up over several years. The budget includes $5 billion for the coming fiscal year, peaking with an outlay of $50 billion in 2021.

Administration officials have previously said they want to eliminate or scale back inefficient infrastructure programs and channel money into initiatives that more successfully attract spending by other entities, including private investors.

spending-dems

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Keywords: Trump, budget, Democrats budget