• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

1

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
FinanceEconomy

DNC Head Calls Trump Budget Plan “Unconscionable”

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
and
Annalyn Kurtz
Annalyn Kurtz
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
and
Annalyn Kurtz
Annalyn Kurtz
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 16, 2017, 2:51 PM ET
US-POLITICS-LABOR-OBAMA
US Labor Secretary Tom Perez speaks as President Barack Obama listens during a town hall meeting at the Summit on Worker Voice at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 7, 2015. AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)Nicholas Kamm — AFP/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Newly elected chair of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez, and former Labor Secretary, has some tough criticisms of the Donald Trump’s budget proposal released Thursday.

In an interview with Fortune, Mr. Perez, who has said he wants to be President Trump’s “worst nightmare,” says the budget blueprint shows Trump is “looking out for his friends on Wall Street at the expense of Main Street.”

Perez said he is particularly troubled by the proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the way Trump’s proposals could adversely impact American workers.

“Budgets are moral documents,” he said. “They reflect the values of any government and when you’re compromising clean air, clean water, and lead, you’re making a statement about communities you don’t care about.

President Trump’s proposal calls for a $54 billion increase in defense spending, paid for by cuts in other discretionary non-defense spending. Budgets for the EPA, as well as the departments of State, Agriculture and Labor would each be slashed more than 20%.

Perez previously served for three years as the Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama’s administration, and had some particularly strong feelings about the slash to the agency he once managed, calling it “unconscionable” for Trump to run on a platform of helping workers and then slash investments in job training.

“When you cut investments in worker training, you’re cutting investments in the middle class,” Perez said.

President Trump has proposed cutting the Department of Labor’s budget by $2.5 billion, or 21%. That cut includes reductions in job training programs.

A program serving low-income unemployed seniors, the Senior Community Service Employment Program, would be completely eliminated, and grants for job training would be decreased, shifting the funding burden for these programs to states, localities, and employers.

At the same time, the proposal would expand one-on-one interviews of the unemployed in an effort to reduce improper and fraudulent unemployment benefit payments.

While the proposal lacks further details on the Department of Labor’s other programs, Perez raised concerns that the budget cuts will weaken the agency’s ability to enforce labor laws. The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division claims to have recovered nearly $1.6 billion in back wages for more than 1.7 million workers since 2009.

“It is a time-honored practice of right wing governments to starve funding for enforcement,” Perez said. “It’s imperative for our enforcement agencies to be a credible threat. There are massive violations of wage and hour laws out there—we need to be those officers on the beat.”

Mr. Perez also said cuts to civil servant jobs may disproportionately affect minorities and women. The public sector has long been thought of as a place where minorities and women could get a toe-hold into middle class jobs, and perhaps face less discrimination than in the private sector.

Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics estimates Trump’s budget proposal could lead to the loss of 100,000 to 200,000 civilian government jobs.

“Federal government has been a gateway to the middle class for people of color for generations,” Perez said. “I am proud of our diversity, and when you attack the federal workforce you are having significant impact on women — many of whom are single moms working to support their family – and you’re having a significant impact on communities of color.”

About the Authors
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Annalyn Kurtz
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

The ‘Trump Trade’ is turning into a loser in the stock market
InvestingStock
The ‘Trump Trade’ is turning into a loser in the stock market
By Geoffrey Morgan, Joel Leon and BloombergJuly 25, 2026
1 hour ago
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
Middle EastIran
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026
2 hours ago
U.S. military suddenly goes silent on Iran airstrikes while Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia exchange attacks in battle over Red Sea shipping
EnergyIran
U.S. military suddenly goes silent on Iran airstrikes while Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia exchange attacks in battle over Red Sea shipping
By Samy Magdy, Giovanna Dell'Orto and The Associated PressJuly 25, 2026
7 hours ago
Can Apple’s incoming CEO bring back the product design mojo of the Steve Jobs era?
MagazineApple
Can Apple’s incoming CEO bring back the product design mojo of the Steve Jobs era?
By Sebastian HerreraJuly 25, 2026
8 hours ago
t
EconomyInflation
Meet the Americans learning to go without after the biggest grocery inflation in 50 years
By Dee-Ann Durbin, Terry Tang, Maggie Scales, Sandy Guatibonza, Hikari Mae Hida and The Associated PressJuly 25, 2026
8 hours ago
g
EconomyInflation
‘Rockets and feathers’: Economists say grocery prices shoot up like the first, fall like the second
By Dee-Ann Durbin and The Associated PressJuly 25, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
11 hours ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
2 days ago
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
3 days ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
13 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
Jensen Huang just used his first ever X post to warn the AI industry not to make the mistake that software narrowly avoided in the 1980s
AI
Jensen Huang just used his first ever X post to warn the AI industry not to make the mistake that software narrowly avoided in the 1980s
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 24, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.