Update

In recent months, President Trump has brought a renewed urgency to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.  

In April, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) cut millions in grants to be consistent with the administration’s agenda to slash executive programs and spending. Ultimately, cutting these grants will cause greater risks to the public, more danger to law enforcement, and more gun deaths across the nation.

What is reconciliation and why does it matter?

The 119th Congress’ reconciliation package — a spending vehicle that bypasses the filibuster in the Senate — proposes slashing federal healthcare, food assistance, and clean energy investments in order to separate immigrant families and extend tax cuts for the wealthy.

The Trump administration has announced plans to request $1.01 trillion for Pentagon spending for fiscal year 2026. That includes more than two thirds of the $150 billion from the reconciliation bill currently being considered by Congress, coupled with the $893 billion requested in President Donald Trump’s “skinny budget.”  

During his first administration, President Trump rarely spoke about nuclear weapons, claiming he deliberately avoided the topic due to the gravity of the issue.

Faith communities around the country have used IRA tax credits to install clean energy projects or increase their building’s energy efficiency. Notably, the IRA allows for certain tax-exempt entities like houses of worship to receive rebates, or “direct pay,” for clean energy investments.” This provision has allowed Meetings in our own Quaker network to save money and redirect these resources to serve their communities, both materially and spiritually.

Last Friday, February 21 Senate Republicans passed a $340 billion budget framework, allocating substantial funds to military spending and border security, despite unanimous Democratic opposition. This framework includes up to $150 billion for the Pentagon and $175 billion to fund President Trump’s agenda for mass immigration detention and deportation over four years.  

The current administration is operating at a whirlwind pace and sowing chaos as it goes. FCNL strives to operate at the speed of Light in our advocacy for peace, justice, and the environment.  

Friends may find peace in the steadiness of our work in this time of challenge and confusion. Here are three examples of how we are keeping the work going in this new era: 

• Through presidential administrations, the Friends Committee on National Legislation has our vision statement as our guiding principles: 
   

Just a few weeks into the second Trump administration, chaos and confusion are running rampant in Washington, DC. Mass deportations and civil service layoffs are rolled out daily. Federal funding freezes are coupled with illegal moves to destroy government agencies and rewrite constitutional powers.

Since the start of the 119th Congress and President Trump’s inauguration, D.C. lawmakers have focused on executing cruel immigration policies opposed to the stated ideals of this nation and our values as people of faith.  

Here are four key elements of the Trump administration’s policies: