AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Cities across the U.S. have started to feel pressure from President Trump's America First agenda. Many are looking ahead to the next fiscal year and planning their budgets as federal spending cuts, tariffs and mass layoffs rapidly take effect.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started.
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RASCOE: This has left municipal leaders wondering how much federal funding they can bank on. Justin Bibb is the Mayor of Cleveland and the president of the Democratic Mayors Association. He joins me now. Welcome to the program.
JUSTIN BIBB: Thank you for having me.
RASCOE: I want to begin with your reaction to President Trump's address to the joint session of Congress last week. What were your thoughts?
BIBB: Well, there wasn't much substance in terms of fixing our economy, what he campaigned for president last year. He talked about getting the prices of eggs under control. And right now, I'm really concerned that nothing has really been done to address inflation and lower costs for everyday hardworking Americans. I'm concerned with tariffs and how that's going to translate into a national sales tax for our country right now. And I didn't hear a message that was going to bring our country together.
RASCOE: Well, talk to me about the situation in your city. What are some of the services, the programs and projects funded by the federal government that you feel may be at stake if there are funding cuts?
BIBB: Well, we got word of the president's intent to work with the new secretary of education, Linda McMahon, to eliminate the Department of Education. And if Congress supports that move, it's going to be devastating for Cleveland public school students who rely on federal funding for free and reduced lunch, special education programs and after-school programs to keep them safe and off the streets.
And we're talking about 26 million students across the country that could be affected. You know, I'm concerned about a potential cut to Medicaid. It's going to hurt seniors. It's going to hurt families and people with disabilities. Now is not the time to turn our back on seniors. Now is not the time to turn our back on veterans. Now is not the time to turn our back on our students.
RASCOE: Cleveland is one of the poorest cities in the United States, with about 30% of residents living in poverty, and many rely on federal support for housing, food and cash assistance. How concerned are you about those services being impacted?
BIBB: Well, I'm very, very concerned about working-class Clevelanders, who have more month than they have money in their pockets. When I think about the potential cutting of SNAP benefits, making it harder for children and seniors to afford groceries. When I think about the potential cuts to Section 8, forcing many of seniors, and especially our veterans and working-class families, to be pushed out back on the streets.
And in Cleveland right now, we're actually making really good progress in terms of tackling our homelessness crisis. Over the last year, we implemented a program called A Home For Every Neighbor, and we're going to house our 150th resident, making us a city where we have functional zero homelessness in terms of adults living on our streets. That's real progress. And these potential cuts is going to undermine that progress in my city right now, if these cuts go through.
RASCOE: One of the arguments behind President Trump's tariffs is that it would revitalize manufacturing in the United States, create more jobs in America, basically by forcing companies to move back to the U.S. Wouldn't Cleveland, which was, you know, once the center of industry, wouldn't it benefit if that did happen?
BIBB: Well, this is an area where I do agree with the president, and this is something that former President Joe Biden tried to jumpstart with the CHIPS Act. We need to make sure we're making things in America again, especially things like semiconductor chips. Not only is it a part of our economic competitiveness as a country, it's also a part of our national security. But broad-based tariffs, not focused with any real strategy, are going to hurt consumers. So I'm all for making sure we have a tariff policy that's focused, targeted and it doesn't undermine what we're trying to do right now to get the cost of inflation under control.
RASCOE: Do you feel like you're having to choose between aligning with Trump's policies to make sure, you know, the people of Cleveland are protected and getting funding, or do you worry that if you do challenge Trump that your funding could be affected and, therefore, your citizens could be affected?
BIBB: I think every mayor in the country would share this sentiment. My job as mayor is pretty clear. Fight for Cleveland every day, regardless of who's in the White House. When we see areas where there is strong alignment where Democrats and Republicans can work on hard issues, like entitlement reform or on immigration, I'm going to support it. Right now, we have a national housing crisis, and there is broad bipartisan support from both Republicans, Democrats and independents to fix that housing crisis. That's an area where we can get something done right now with this upcoming tax bill. And I'm going to work with anybody, whether it's the president or members of Congress, who share and believe in that vision.
RASCOE: That's Justin Bibb. He is the mayor of Cleveland. He's also the president of the Democratic Mayors Association. Thank you so much for joining us.
BIBB: Thank you.
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