President Trump is expected to submit his FY2026 budget request to Congress today. The request is reported to include cuts to nondefense discretionary spending by more than $160 billion.
The budget request, which is typically a symbolic measure expressing the President’s priorities, includes requested funding levels for “discretionary spending.” This includes annual defense spending as well as other funds that cover federal departments like USDA, HHS, State, Energy, etc. This spending is separate from “mandatory spending” on programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
The budget request is expected to include $557 billion in nondefense discretionary spending, a reduction of roughly $163 billion from FY2025. According to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, that represents a 22.6% cut.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Education, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are expected to experience the most significant funding cuts.
The president typically transmits an annual budget request to Congress, and it is often viewed as a list of administration priorities.
Congress is currently working on a “budget reconciliation” process, whereby one party may adjust spending to fulfill certain priorities. Congressional Republicans have stated they plan to extend much of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act through this process. Only after that bill is finally passed through both the House and Senate can the Appropriations Committees seek to advance annual discretionary spending bills.
