Trump makes proposals to cut EPA budget

US President Donald Trump unveiled a $1.1 trillion budget outline last week that makes good on a series of campaign promises, including cutting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by about one-third.

According to CNN, Trump’s budget director made clear the administration has no intention of going back.

Asked at the White House about the cuts to climate change-related programmes, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said those programmes are "a waste of your money."

"Regarding the question as to climate change, I think the President was fairly straightforward. We're not spending money on that anymore. We consider that to be a waste of your money to go out and do that.' So that is a specific tie to his campaign," Mulvaney said.

Sources inside the EPA told CNN that they anticipated at least 25% in budget cuts, and possibly deeper. Trump delivered: 31%.

The proposal would cut $2.6 billion from the agency, for a 2018 budget of $5.7 billion, and result in 3,200 fewer jobs, according to the White House outline.

Climate change programs were targeted, including discontinuing funding for the Clean Power Plan, President Barack Obama's signature environmental regulation intended to curb global warming. Funding would also be cut for international climate change programs and climate change research and partnership programs.