BUDGET/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “More than 120 retired generals signed a letter Monday pushing back on the White House’s proposal to make major cuts to diplomacy and development.
Retired Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and retired Gen. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme allied commander, are among the former three- and four-star generals who wrote that State Department funding is ‘critical to keeping America safe.’ They sent the letter to congressional leaders, two Cabinet officials and the White House national security adviser.
President Donald Trump’s first budget proposal would increase military spending by about $54 billion dollars, with administration officials telling CNN they would cut funding elsewhere by a similar amount this year, in large part by targeting the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department.”
– Nicole Gaouette, “Retired generals tell White House: Don’t cut State Department,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Feb. 27, 2017