President Trump’s just-released budget reduces the fiscal 2018 budget for the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau by $7 million, to $99 million, a 6.6% reduction.
It reduces the agency’s “protect the public” funding by $3 million and the “collect revenue” account by 4 million. TTB’s payroll expense will be reduced by $2 million, largely a result of eliminating 38 full-time positions.
The budget document projects TTB’s employment at 456 full-time employees, down 38 positions from the current level and 14 positions from the 2016 level.
Bev/al industry associations probably won’t view this as good news. They have been advocating for an increase in TTB’s funding, not a reduction, and will worry that the reduction in the “protect the public” mission will be long waits for label and formula approvals.