At the end of last week, the Trump administration released a Budget overview For exercise 2026, which begins on October 1. Although this document does not include a lot of details – a more complete explanation of budget figures is expected later in May or early June – the information included shows a desire to reduce funding and eliminate whole programs that serve many elderly and disabled people.
Cups offered to programs that strengthen healthy aging
Overall, the proposed budget would reduce the expected expenses of $ 163 billion, more than 20%, by reducing many programs that support public health and people with few resources. For example, the low -income energy assistance program (LIHEAP) helps 6 million families with young children, older adults and disabled people pay their heating and cooling bills. The budget proposes to eliminate LIHEAP.
The other proposals include massive cuts Administration of drug and mental health services (Samhsa), THE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)THE Ryan White HIV / AIDS programand the medical research agency National Institutes of Health (NIH). Other programs that help finance the cleaning of hazardous waste, pure air and water, vocational training for the elderly, rental assistance for low-income people, support for homeless and renewable energy initiatives would also be on the cutting block.
Presidential budgets are messaging tools
Presidential budgets are used to launch discussions on the funding of the federal government for the year, but they are not binding. Instead, they serve as messaging tools and guidance benchmarks to the objectives of the administration.
For most years, the congress takes little or no action on the specific provisions of a budget. It seems that some of this year’s budgetary proposals will not be welcomed by one or the other of the partiesAnd developing a federal financing plan generally requires bipartite action of the congress. But some of the destructive changes have already been made, such as the Disassembly of important agencies such as the administration for community life (ACL)put Access to federal services for the elderly and disabled at risk.
At Medicare Rights, we urge the administration to abandon attempts to severely reduce or eliminate these programs and work to strengthen public health and well-being.
Upon reading
Read the lean budget document.
Learn more about the lean budget.
Find out more about previous reductions in the administration to vital agencies.