Trump’s defense plan would have mixed impact on Maryland – Capital News Service
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 federal budget could be a boost to Maryland’s sprawling defense industry but negatively affect the state’s economy in other areas, according to analysts.
The administration’s so-called “skinny budget,” unveiled in March, seeks to increase national defense spending by $54 billion.
Almost any increase would have a ripple effect in Maryland, which ranked fourth among states in defense spending at $20.5 billion in 2015, according to a Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment study.
However, as envisioned by the White House, any increase in the defense budget would be offset by cuts to many other critical programs in the state.
“What matters for Maryland is the overall federal budget,” Benjamin Orr, executive director of the Baltimore-based Maryland Center on Economic Policy, told Capital News Service.
“Increased defense spending means cuts to many other agencies, according to Trump’s plan,” said Orr, noting that the increase would be relatively small compared to the entire defense budget.
