Sen. Kamala Harris concerned about cuts to trade education

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Sen. Kamala Harris visited Los Angeles Trade Technical College, one of many programs that are facing potentially steep federal budget cuts.

She said the U.S. Department of Labor is facing a potential 21 percent budget "which translates to billions of dollars. It's misguided, it's misinformed and it's not smart."

Tech schools like LATTC help train workers for jobs in an array of fields, such as construction where California plans to fund billions in infrastructure improvements, and emerging fields of health outreach for low-income patients.

The school says its own students are also part of a vulnerable population that could be hurt by budget cuts.

School president Larry Frank said almost 21 percent of its students are homeless for at least part of the year "and a much larger percentage have food insecurity. They're not sure that they're going to have the money for food, vs. the money for books."

So far the Trump administration has presented only a budget blueprint identifying cuts desired. It will be up to Congress to define what will go and what will stay.