White House: Meals On Wheels "Just Not Showing Any Results"

Mick Mulvaney

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney explained at a Thursday afternoon White House briefing why President Trump's newly released 2018 budget cuts billions from the federal program (Community Development Block Grants "CDBGs") that funds Meals on Wheels.

As many know, Meals on Wheels has provided vital, life-saving food and support for millions of people for 40 years. For many of Meals On Wheels clients, the food delivered to those folks is often the only meals they may eat. And, the interaction with the delivery folks may be the only social contact some of these seniors may have.

Specific to the LGBT community, many receiving Meals On Wheels services are HIV/AIDS patients who need the nutritional support.

Mulvaney said today that the CDBGs are "just not showing any results."

"We can't spend money on programs just because they sound good. I can't defend that anymore," Mulvaney said, repeating that Meals on Wheels and associated programs "don't work."

"We're not going to spend [money] on programs that cannot show that they actually deliver the promises that they've made to people."

Mulvaney also addressed cuts to after-school programs: "They're supposed to help kids who don't get fed at home get fed so they do better in school. Guess what? There's no demonstrable evidence they're actually doing that."

The Trump budget wouldn't actually end Meals on Wheels. But this Mulvaney quote, man. What are these people doing? https://t.co/ZDO8k1y1SQ

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) March 16, 2017