WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is apparently hoping the third time is the charm when it comes to cutting funds for the Great Lakes.

The Trump administration on Monday revealed some details of its $4.7 trillion spending proposal for the next fiscal year and it included cutting $270 million from the $300 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

It is the third year in a row that Trump has proposed either eliminating or cutting most of the program, which is used on projects to restore wetlands and improve water quality in and around the Great Lakes.

Because the Great Lakes initiative is popular with legislators of both parties across the Upper Midwest, efforts to slash the funds have fallen flat in Congress and are expected to do so again.

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In fact, Trump's entire budget is considered to be more of a wish list than a sincere policy proposal, including, as it does, deep cuts to social programs at a time when Democrats control the U.S. House, and requesting about $8.6 billion more for a border wall already rejected by Congress.

“The Trump administration just doesn’t get it and is once again gutting funding for the Great Lakes," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. "Just like last year, and the year before, the people of Michigan will make their voices heard."

Added U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, “The president’s budget proposal released today is not the direction the country needs to be going."

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, said that while he supports many of Trump's proposals, the budget "fails to properly fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative."

"I will continue to work with both Republicans and Democrats to fully fund the GLRI and protect both the economy and the ecology of the Great Lakes," said Huizenga, who is cochair of the congressional Great Lakes Task Force.

Where in past years, the Trump administration has tried to make the case for deep cuts in programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, it did not do so on Monday, with the cut simply buried as a line item in a budget release by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Overall, the administration hopes to cut the EPA by nearly $3 billion, or more than 30 percent of its current budget.

Contact Todd Spangler:tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. Read more onMichigan politics and sign up for ourelections newsletter.