The White House unveiled a preliminary fiscal 2026 budget Friday, outlining a plan for Congress’ Republican majorities to try to slash funding for climate programs, renewable energy, vulnerable communities and other Democratic-aligned priorities.
President Donald Trump’s “skinny” budget, influenced by recommendations from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, spells out toplines for major agencies and numerous offices, but leaves more granular, program-specific details for a full budget proposal expected later this month.
In all, the fiscal 2026 budget request to Congress would reduce nondefense discretionary spending by $163 billion, or 23 percent below the currently enacted level, pulling that spending down to its lowest level in eight years, according to the White House.
The budget proposes to aggressively slash what the administration calls the “Green New Scam,” including a $22.5 billion cut to funding enacted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, and numerous offices and programs focused on clean energy.
Programs with broad bipartisan support — such as an Army Corps of Engineers water infrastructure fund, EPA’s drinking water and clean water funds for states, forestry operations, energy utility assistance for low-income households, science and technology programs, agricultural support, and tribal programs — would also face cuts.
The budget numbers provided by the Office of Management and Budget in some cases do not appear to mesh with current funding levels approved by Congress. For example, the Interior Department received $14.7 billion in fiscal 2024, which Congress extended through fiscal 2025 in March, but the budget request lists the agency’s current budget at $16.8 billion. In a footnote, the administration notes that it is seeking to move federal wildland fire responsibilities from the Agriculture Department to Interior, which could account for that discrepancy.
“No agency was spared in the Left’s taxpayer-funded cultural revolution,” White House budget director Russ Vought said in a statement. “At this critical moment, we need a historic Budget — one that ends the funding of our decline, puts Americans first, and delivers unprecedented support to our military and homeland security. The President’s Budget does all of that.”
