Faces of the Federal Budget

The Faces of the Budget project tells the story of the federal budget through ordinary folks' personal experience.

I'm sure glad that I was able to qualify for a Pell Grant and subsidized Stafford Loans for college, awarded an Army scholarship for medical school, and then completed an Emergency Medicine residency ... More

Marc from Amherst, NH | Map

I started college at IUSB in 2001, right after my divorce was final. I was a single mom with 3 kids, eager to begin a new life. Two years into my education, I was in a car accident in which the airbag ... More

Cindy from Howe, IN | Map

I am a nineteen year old college student who is covered under Medicare/Medicaid due to a disability, but who nevertheless has no intentions of ever paying federal income tax - not until we cut our mil ... More

Clayton from Waukesha, WI | Map

I live in a beautiful area, and am blessed to be alive. My kidneys failed when I was in my early 20's, and I've survived the past 20 years with a lot of surgery and dialysis. I do get Social Security ... More

Merchelle from Sebastian, FL | Map

I am ashamed to pay my taxes because of how they are spent/wasted; constant war, murder, torture, imprisonment, violence, spying. Most of our money, both in the budget and hidden, goes to support viol ... More

Colby from San Antonio, TX | Map

My late husband had very, very heavy exposure to Agent Orange while serving in combat in Vietnam during the worst of the time and at a place where airplanes were spraying the poison every day. Agent ... More

Dee from Pittsburgh, PA | Map

About Stories and Opinions

Stories and opinions presented in Faces of the Federal Budget are those of the individual who submitted them, and are not necessarily the opinions of National Priorities Project. NPP reviews story submissions for appropriateness prior to posting and does not modify content beyond review for spelling and typos.