Money Talks in Politics

When we talk about money, well, everything else sort of falls into the background. This rings especially true in politics.

President Trump seems to be reviving his earlier approach of proposing significant cuts and reforms to federal policies via executive orders. Yet, he’s also quietly persuaded Republicans in Congress to support annual spending bills, which maintain much of the spending levels and policies set by his predecessor. As a result, almost all of these bills have passed with bipartisan support, except for the most extreme Democrats.

Interestingly, Democrats are generally fine with voting on these bills, which represent the pinnacle of the three-party Republican coalition during Trump’s presidency.

However, it’s crucial to note that actual government funding—rather than temporary executive actions or press announcements—truly impacts permanent changes in federal agencies.

Recently, House Republicans pushed through a “minibus” bill, with nearly all but 64 of the 213 most progressive Democrats voting in favor. This is quite striking, especially since 24 conservative Republicans opposed the bill, even under pressure. It suggests that this legislation doesn’t align with Trump’s original campaign commitments.

The minibus encompasses funding for various agencies: Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. Trump has proposed many controversial policies through these departments, yet Democrats, surprisingly, are not opposed to his budget. Why is that?

Perhaps they feel a slight reprieve from the consequences of this funding bill while they are out of power. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who is a ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, provided quite the insight.

These bills outright reject President Trump’s intent to invest in American workers, eliminate funding for children’s education, displace millions of families, and significantly cut lifesaving medical research. The clear message is that America will keep funding cancer research, continue to invest in affordable housing, and tackle homelessness. Congress won’t dismantle the Department of Education, and the people’s representatives will ultimately decide how tax dollars are spent.

While I wish these bills had addressed more issues, the compromises made here safeguard vital investments in our citizens, rejecting severe cuts that could reverse decades of progress. They are certainly preferable to another year of a Continuing Resolution. I’m committed to ensuring these become law.

This bill is touted as the Republican Party’s flagship budget package from the height of the Trump era, yet Democrats not only support it, they seem genuinely pleased to back it. What’s going on?

The $1.25 trillion minibus bill has effectively nullified cuts to major agencies like the NIH and CDC. In general, spending will see a slight increase compared to Biden’s final year in office, which was marked by extensive spending.

Here are a few notable points regarding the 2026 budget proposal:

• The Department of Education is fully funded at $78.7 billion, mirroring Biden’s funding levels, despite Trump having aimed to eliminate the department entirely. Additionally, Democrats secured a clause that prevents any Education Department funds from being assigned to other agencies, a point that had been contentious during negotiations. It’s clear that discussions around spending will persist alongside new executive orders.
• The combined budget for Labor, Health, and Education, according to the Democrats’ summary, totals $224 billion—a modest increase. This is remarkable since Republicans previously questioned the need for federal oversight in these areas. If we can’t cut back here, how can we cut anywhere?
• Housing-related expenditures show a significant uptick as well. The increase in Biden’s HUD spending by nearly $8 billion may surprise many. After all, conservatives have long pushed to abolish HUD altogether. This should be a local matter.

The bill allocates $38.4 billion for tenant-based Section 8 vouchers, an increase of $2.4 billion starting in fiscal year 2025. It also includes $18.5 billion for project-based rental assistance, marking a $1.7 billion increase from last year.

Additionally, the bill outlines $1.25 billion for HUD’s HOME Investment Partnership program, despite Trump’s original request for its elimination. These funds effectively act as subsidies for state and local governments and NGOs, potentially shifting the political landscape in traditionally conservative areas.

While the Department of Homeland Security’s segment remains contentious, with Democrats signaling potential opposition, the situation has changed significantly since the Minneapolis shooting incident. Notably, prior to that event, they were willing to support Trump’s DHS efforts without hesitation.

Upon the bill’s introduction, Senator Murray boasted about how Democrats resisted substantial Republican demands to enlarge ICE’s budget, managed to reduce ICE’s detention financing, and cut back more than $1 billion from CBP’s budget, all while inflicting some restrictions on DHS.

Clearly, Democrats are fulfilling their commitments. But when dissected closely, this legislation contains troubling provisions.

• There is a provision to increase the number of H-2B visas, expanding from 66,000 to 130,000.
• ICE is restricted from deporting undocumented minors who are sponsored, even if it’s determined they are illegally in the country. HHS is expected to verify sponsors, yet if they identify individuals without legal status and report them to ICE, deportation becomes barred.

So, why push for more guest worker visas while making it tougher to remove individuals who exploit human trafficking networks?

In the end, despite the noise around funding proposals, Biden’s remark still holds true: “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me the budget, and I’ll show you what you value.” And it certainly seems we’re scrutinizing everything that received funding during his administration.