Budget Matters Blog

Category: Budget Process


The Trillion Dollar Trade Off: War & Weapons VS. Basic Needs

President Trump is requesting a record-high $1.01 trillion “defense” budget for FY 2026 while gutting federal agencies and social services that actually keep the country safe – things like clean air and water protection, Medicaid, child nutrition, the Department of Education, green energy, and so much more.   The U.S. already...


Good Trouble: Moral Mondays at the U.S. Capitol to Defend Americans from a Destructive Budget

Faith leaders have powerfully gathered in Washington D.C. to speak up against Republican-led proposals for more war and mass deportation spending.


President's 2026 Budget is a Bonanza for Weapons and Prison Contractors

Today, President Trump revealed the broad strokes of his budget request to Congress for 2026. This request does not meet the nation’s needs. 


Congress Boosts the War Machine and Executive Power, While Cutting Services for Working People

While the continuing resolution is a step in the wrong direction, we must stay focused on an even bigger fight ahead: budget reconciliation.   


Parity, Schmarity: The Budget Deal Gives 56% of the Discretionary Budget to the Military

The budget deal struck by the White House and House Republicans begins what could be a long-term shift in federal spending from domestic programs toward the Pentagon. 


Senators Failed to Add Anti-Immigrant Border Policy to Budget Deal

Yesterday, two anti-immigrant amendments that would have extended the legacy of the draconian Trump-era immigration policy, Title 42, each took the Senate floor for a vote. Both failed. 


We Won't Trade E-Carceration for Detention: Ending Immigrant Incarceration

The Biden administration continues to support increased funding for ICE’s e-carceration and surveillance programs — so-called “Alternatives to Detention.” We must defund all forms of immigrant incarceration.  


Beyond the Enforcement Paradigm: A Vision for a Transformative Budget for U.S. Immigration

With our partners in the Defund Hate Coalition, we’re pleased to announce the release of the 2023 transformative budget proposal on U.S. immigration.


Biden FY 2023 Budget Maintains Trump-Era Spending on ICE and CBP

The Biden administration came into office promising to dismantle Trump’s harmful immigration policies. But we have been dismayed to see violent and deadly immigration enforcement policies continue to be funded at obscene levels


The US COMPETES with China — At What Cost?

The House passed a sweeping bill to counter China economically, the America COMPETES Act, with $52 billion for fund the production of computer chips. What else could that pay for?