Credit: triple pundit

American businesses are still trying to figure out how President Donald Trump’s proposed budget could affect their operations. And while it seems increasingly unlikely that Congress will pass Trump’s budget ‘wish list’ as is, the administration’s $1.1 trillion package — which would beef up defense programs, slash funding for other agencies and demand “significant reorganization” of key governmental services — could have dramatic impact on American small businesses.

The Labor Department, which enforces occupational safety and fair employment laws (as well as provides federal funding for unemployment benefits), would lose just over 20 percent of its staff and operational funding. Services like the Senior Community Service Employment Program and the Office of Disability Employment Policy, which facilitate employment opportunities and protections for workers, would be eliminated.

And the Department of Agriculture, whose programs play an indispensable role in ensuring that the towns and rural counties that make up America’s fertile breadbasket have adequate funding infrastructure, would see almost a third of its budget stripped. Key programs that connect mortgage lenders and potential homebuyers would also be cut. […]