Slashing government waste and improving efficiencies are always laudable goals. Investing in the military and supporting our veterans is the obligation of the federal government. I support these concepts in the federal budget proposed by President Trump, but that is where my support ends.

Many of the suggested cuts are short-sighted and could result in weakening the most vulnerable Americans. These programs are not wasteful, but rather vital to a community’s health, prosperity and economic growth. Many of my former constituents in Ohio rely on these federally-funded and state-administered programs.