President Donald J. Trump’s FY 2026 budget proposal isn’t just a spending plan—it’s a blueprint for dismantling decades of federal investment in education, scientific research, and public safety. Released on May 31, 2025, the $94.7 billion request includes $163 billion in cuts to nondefense discretionary programs, targeting agencies Americans rely on daily. The proposal, which follows a preliminary ‘skinny budget’ unveiled on May 2, 2025, doesn’t just trim spending—it eliminates entire departments, slashes critical grants, and consolidates agencies into untested bureaucratic hybrids. With Congress racing against a October 1, 2026 deadline to pass appropriations, the stakes couldn’t be higher for students, firefighters, researchers, and frontline responders.
The Education Department at Risk
The Department of Education (ED) faces the most aggressive overhaul. The budget proposes eliminating the department entirely—a move that would transfer its remaining functions to the Department of Health and Human Services, a shift critics call both legally dubious and logistically chaotic. Core student aid programs like TRIO, GEAR UP, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants would vanish, cutting off lifelines for low-income, first-generation, and disabled students. The Office for Civil Rights, which investigates discrimination in schools, would see a 35% funding cut. That’s not just a reduction—it’s a signal that civil rights enforcement in education is no longer a priority. The National Science Foundation loses nearly $5 billion, with targeted cuts to climate science, STEM access for underrepresented communities, and social science research. The National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts are slated for complete elimination, erasing federal support for museums, theater, literature, and public history projects nationwide.Firefighting and Homeland Security: Stagnation and Cuts
While fire service programs like the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) remain frozen at $324 million each—same as 2024 and 2025—the broader homeland security picture is grim. The State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) would drop from $468 million to $351 million, hitting rural and mid-sized cities hardest. The Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), which funds counterterrorism efforts in 100 high-risk cities, would shrink from $553.5 million to $415.5 million. Even the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, a critical program tracking cancer rates among first responders, gets only a modest $500,000 bump to $6 million. Meanwhile, the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, which tests and certifies firefighter gear, is axed entirely. The U.S. Fire Administration’s $64.166 million allocation includes funding for the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), but without the lab, that system lacks the scientific backbone to evolve.Consolidation and Confusion: The New ‘Healthy America’ Architecture
The administration’s most audacious move is the creation of a new $19 billion Administration for a Healthy America, swallowing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health. This isn’t efficiency—it’s obfuscation. By merging distinct missions under one umbrella, accountability vanishes. Similarly, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response are being folded into a $3.7 billion Assistant Secretary for a Healthy Future. Experts warn this could stall innovation. ARPA-H, created in 2022 with bipartisan support, was designed to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases. Merging it with bureaucracy risks turning a nimble research engine into a paper-pushing machine.
Appropriations Battle: What Congress Might Do
The White House’s numbers are a starting point—not the final word. Congress has already begun the process. On November 10, 2025, the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (H.R. 5371) by 60-40, and the House followed on November 12 with a 222-209 vote. President Trump signed it the same day, keeping the government open through December 2025. But this is just a stopgap. The real fight is over the final appropriations bills. The House wants $64.8 billion for Homeland Security; the Senate, $60.5 billion; Trump, $65 billion. The cap? $66.4 billion. That’s a $15.9 billion gap between the lowest and highest numbers. For Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, the House proposes $186.6 billion, the Senate $198.7 billion, and Trump $198.2 billion—but the cap is only $184.5 billion. That’s a $14 billion shortfall. With partisan divisions deepening, a government shutdown remains a real threat by mid-December.Why This Matters Beyond the Numbers
This isn’t just about budgets—it’s about values. When you cut the National Endowment for the Arts, you’re not just reducing a line item. You’re telling rural theaters, public libraries, and community choirs that their cultural contributions don’t matter. When you slash climate science funding, you’re sidelining researchers trying to predict wildfire patterns that now burn 7 million acres a year. When you freeze firefighter grants while inflation rises, you’re asking departments to buy new gear with 2020 dollars. The Congressional Budget Office’s November 15, 2025, analysis of tariff impacts—though not detailed—hints that revenue losses from trade policies may be forcing these cuts. That’s a dangerous trade: cutting domestic safety nets to pay for tariffs that haven’t yet delivered promised economic gains.
What’s Next?
Congress will reconvene in January 2026 to finalize appropriations. The Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Senator Susan Collins, and the House panel, chaired by Representative Tom Cole, will hold hearings through February. Expect fierce debate over ARPA-H’s future, the fate of AmeriCorps, and whether to restore even partial funding to the Department of Education. Advocacy groups like the American Council on Education and the National Fire Protection Association are already mobilizing. But with the 2026 midterm elections looming, many lawmakers may be reluctant to vote for funding increases that could be painted as ‘wasteful’ by the White House. The real question isn’t whether cuts will happen—it’s how deep they’ll go, and who’ll pay the price.Background: The Long Road to FY 2026
The FY 2026 budget cycle began in earnest after the Senate failed to advance the defense spending bill on October 16, 2025, by a 50-44 vote—a rare bipartisan rebuke. That setback forced the administration to pivot toward nondefense cuts as a way to balance the budget. The White House released its detailed appendix on May 25, 2025, laying out the rationale for each cut. But critics point out that the proposal ignores rising costs: firefighter equipment prices have jumped 22% since 2022, and college tuition inflation outpaces student aid growth by 3:1. Even the proposed $2.65 billion for wildfire suppression ignores the fact that 2024 was the worst fire season on record. The budget, in short, is built on outdated assumptions.Frequently Asked Questions
How will cutting the Department of Education affect students in rural areas?
Rural districts rely heavily on TRIO and GEAR UP programs to help first-generation students navigate college applications and financial aid. Eliminating these programs could reduce college enrollment by up to 18% in counties with high poverty rates, according to a 2024 National Association of Secondary School Principals study. Without ED oversight, Title I funding for low-income schools may also become inconsistent, worsening achievement gaps.
Why is the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer getting a small increase while other programs are cut?
The $500,000 increase to $6 million is likely symbolic. While the registry tracks cancer rates among firefighters—a group with 9% higher cancer risk than the general public—it lacks funding for expanded data collection or outreach. Without the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, there’s no research to link exposure to specific toxins, making the registry’s data less actionable. It’s a data collection tool without the science to interpret it.
What happens if Congress doesn’t pass a final budget by October 1, 2026?
A shutdown would freeze nonessential services: NIH research grants would pause, AmeriCorps volunteers would be furloughed, and fire grants would stop flowing. Essential services like border security and air traffic control would continue, but many local programs—like mental health outreach and museum preservation—would halt immediately. A partial shutdown in 2018 cost the economy $11 billion; another could cost more, especially with inflation still above 3%.
Are any programs protected from these cuts?
Yes. The World Trade Center Health Program, which provides care for 9/11 responders, remains funded. Military construction and veterans’ benefits also remain largely untouched, with the budget requesting $146.6 billion—close to the $152.1 billion cap. Defense spending, which the administration has consistently prioritized, is not included in these nondefense cuts. But even within defense, some research programs are being scaled back.
What’s the likelihood of Congress restoring any of the eliminated programs?
Moderate Republicans and Democrats have signaled openness to restoring some funding for ARPA-H and fire grants, especially after the 2025 wildfire season. But full restoration of the Department of Education or the NEA is unlikely without a shift in political control. The House GOP’s 2026 platform includes support for ‘school choice’ over federal education funding, making reversal politically risky for Republicans. The real battleground will be mid-tier programs like AmeriCorps and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, where bipartisan support still exists.
How does this budget compare to past Trump administration proposals?
The FY 2026 cuts are deeper than any previous Trump proposal. The 2018 budget cut education by $9.2 billion and eliminated the NEA, but left ARPA-H untouched. This proposal goes further: eliminating the Department of Education entirely, cutting NIH by $17.9 billion (double the 2018 cut), and targeting climate science—a focus absent in prior budgets. It’s less about fiscal restraint and more about ideological restructuring, aligning with the administration’s broader deregulation agenda.
