Policing agencies Republicans have defunded or wanted to defund

Defund the police?  Done already.  Republicans have defunded or tried to defund several agencies that protect our lives and welfare.  Here is a list from the Guardian that David Sirota put together.

  • The US Chemical Safety Board investigates major industrial accidents. Last year, Trump’s proposed budget would have eliminated this agency which costs $12 million dollars.
  • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commissionenforces federal laws against workplace discrimination. The Board had a backlog of 50,000 cases.  Nevertheless, last year, Trump’s proposed reducing the agency’s budget from $379.5 million to $355.8 million.
  • The Consumer Products Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from products used at home, in recreation, or in schools – from children’s toys to portable gas generators to toasters. No increased funds are anticipated though the Commission says current funding does not allow it to keep pace with the marketplace.
  • The Internal Revenue Service, which polices our tax system, has had its funding, in actual dollars rather than inflation adjusted dollars, cut by 18% between 2010 and 2018. As a result the IRS conducted 675,000 fewer audits in 2017 than in 2010 – a 42% reduction. A report showed that 800,000 high-income households have not paid more than $45 Billion in taxes that they owed.
  • The Department of Labor polices employers and makes sure they aren’t stealing wages, breaking workplace safety rules, ignoring overtime laws, and/or violating workers’ rights regarding unions. In recent years, workplace injuries and deaths have increased. Nevertheless, Trump proposed a budget that decreased funding for the Department by nearly 10%.

Briefer remarks about other police agencies the Republicans have sought to cut and/or make ineffective include

  • the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board which polices the accounting industry
  • The Security and Exchange Commission’s reserve fund established the agency’s work policing Wall Street. (a year ago investigations were down nearly 10%)
  • Anti-Trust oversight
  • Agribusiness oversight
  • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
  • Law enforcement oversight (something we could do with a little more now)
  • The Environmental Protection Agency

Some law. Some order.  Defunding the police.