This week, President Donald Trump released an alarming new budget proposal that would dramatically reshape the federal government.
Its sweeping overhaul of federal spending goes far beyond typical adjustments in annual presidential budget requests to Congress.
Rather, it would “fundamentally eliminate federal government efforts to alleviate suffering and ensure prosperity, wellbeing, and safety for millions of people,” as we warned in a statement Friday.
The proposal would gut a wide range of crucial programs and services. These include:
Diplomacy and aid: The budget proposes cutting the Department of State by 84%, slashing investments in diplomacy, peacebuilding, and foreign assistance at a time of rising conflicts and humanitarian crises. As our statement warned, “Such a drastic reduction would be a catastrophic ethical and strategic failure for the country.”
Climate investments: It would eliminate U.S. contributions to international climate assistance, turning our backs on those most vulnerable to the climate crisis and undermining global stability.
Tribal services: It betrays treaty commitments made to Native communities, gutting funding for tribal justice, education, and other critical services.
Other alarming proposals include cuts to community gun violence prevention, housing assistance, and other crucial programs that promote safe and prosperous communities.
Meanwhile, this budget proposal prioritizes militarism over the basic well-being of people, seeking to surge funding for the Pentagon and attacks on our immigrant neighbors.
The proposal calls for another major increase in spending on weapons and war, seeking to allocate more than $1 trillion to the Pentagon and arms companies. This alone comprises 60% of the total budget request.
It also calls to increase funding for mass deportation and detention while cutting basic humanitarian and legal services for migrants including asylum seekers and unaccompanied children.
The bottom line: As FCNL’s Bridget Moix said, “This budget blueprint is morally bankrupt and will cause significant harm to communities and threaten lives around the world.”
We call on all people of conscience to join us in urging Congress to reject this horrific budget proposal.
Elsewhere
People in Gaza Continue to Starve
The Israeli government is continuing to block aid from entering Gaza, marking over two months since the last food or medicine has entered. Families are starving and hospitals are struggling to care for malnourished patients. The international community is speaking out, with a powerful editorial in The Financial Times this week, and leaders in the U.S. Congress are starting to join in.
Senators Chris Van Hollen (MD) and Bernie Sanders (VT) have spoken out clearly to demand an end to the blockade, while 95 Representatives joined a strong letter led by Representatives Salud Cabrajal (CA-24) and Ami Bera (CA-7) imploring the Israeli government to “resume the flow of aid into Gaza.”
But as FCNL’s Hassan El-Tayyab explained in an interview with TRT World, words alone aren’t enough. Your voice is needed now to urge Congress to do more . The humanitarian crisis in Gaza must not continue!
Native Hawai’ian Cloak Returned
A sacred cape was returned to the Native Hawaiian community this week after being held by the Smithsonian Museum for 136 years. It was worn by Chief Keaoua Kekuaokalani when he was killed in battle. FCNL has long worked on repatriation of human remains and sacred objects to Native caretakers.
Tensions rise between India and Pakistan
Following a devastating attack by militants in Kashmir, tensions are rising between India and Pakistan. While the situation is fluid, continued escalations raise the risk of full-blown war between these two nuclear-armed powers. We hold those suffering in the light and welcome calls for restraint and de-escalation from U.S. officials like Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-32) and Vice President JD Vance.
Clean Energy for the World We Seek
FCNL’s Bridget Moix wrote this week on the importance of clean energy to build the world we seek amid the setback of the Trump administration’s energy policies. As she put it, “As a Quaker, I am hopeful that, with persistence, we can win this struggle and leave a sustainable planet for our children and their children.”
