Budget Matters Blog


The Senate's Failed War and Border Deal is Not Security

The $118 billion bill that Senate leaders put forward this week is a deal that never should have been made. 


The Cost of the Holiday Season: Increasing Funds for Border Enforcement Will Separate Families and Take Away From Human Needs

The holiday season is all about gathering with loved ones, right? Well, that’s the exact opposite of what extra funds to border enforcement - part of a foreign aid package in the Senate - will do for immigrant communities.


Hunger Striking for a Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza

From left to right: DE State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, Bita iuliano (activist, grassroots organizer), Ashik Siddique, Sumaya Awad (author/activist, Adalah Justice Project), Rana Abdelhamid (organizer and former congressional candidate), Cynthia Nixon (actor/director), NY State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh (Founder, Muslim Girl). Photo Credit: Eman Mohammed.  Last week, I...


Pentagon Fails Its Sixth Audit

There is an entity whose job it is to prevent this sort of abuse: Congress. With each failure at the Pentagon, Congress is failing, too.


On Veterans Day, Let’s Care for Veterans and Our Communities

Even though they often come up short, the U.S. has a good thing in its veterans’ programs. Veterans deserve this level of care and dignity - in fact, we all do. 


Israel, Ukraine, the Border: What's in Biden's $105 Billion Military Bill

An extra $105 billion in mostly military spending is no small matter, especially on top of the $886 billion military budget that has been working its way through Congress this year. So, how did this thing get so big?


A Series of Ups and Downs for Immigrants in the U.S.

For much of the past few weeks, there has been so much wrong in the world. However, immigrant advocates show us that there are reasons for hope.


The Biden Asylum Ban Swings Back and Forth in Judicial Courts

A federal court of appeals has allowed the Biden administration’s asylum ban to stand - in likely violation of U.S. and international law.


On July Fourth, Let’s Celebrate by Reimagining Immigration Policy

It’s not too late for President Biden to set a precedent of treating migrants with care, dignity, and respect, and request that Congress cut spending on deportations and detentions.


A Peek into the Poor People's Campaign Moral Poverty Action Congress

Last week, hundreds of people from the Poor People's Campaign assembled in Washington DC to fight against poverty.