We’ll be giving real-time commentary and analysis of tonight’s speech so be sure to follow along using #CBPPSOTU. And check back for more analysis on the President’s budget in the coming weeks.
…And advancing policies that help make it easier for people to afford rent and utilities, buy food, and go to the doctor.
Addressing affordability starts with abandoning Admin policies that have raised costs for families… www.cbpp.org/research/pov...
The megabill singled out immigrants w/ lawful status & their families for particularly harsh cuts and pumped $170 billion into an immigration detention and removal dragnet that is violating basic rights, terrorizing communities, and making people less safe.
The Republican megabill signed into law in July included deep cuts to SNAP, Medicaid and ACA marketplaces, taking food assistance and health care away from people who need it. All to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.
2 questions to ask about the agenda the President lays out:
- Does it undo the harm already inflicted?
- Does it further hurt families’ ability to afford the basics?
Tonight, during the State of the Union address, we’ll hear President Trump’s priorities for the year ahead. It’s worth comparing what he says to the extreme actions his Administration took last year.
And as CBPP’s new Vice President for Communications, Michele will lead the communications team and work with leaders across the organization to guide the Center’s use of strategic communications to shape the public debate and advance the organization’s policy goals.
Shannon brings to this new role a focused vision for communications and storytelling. Her proven ability to develop effective messaging, manage complex issues, and elevate CBPP's research while centering people will be invaluable.
I’m thrilled to announce two new roles on @centeronbudget.bsky.social's leadership team: Shannon Buckingham as Executive Vice President for Communications and External Affairs and Michele Vaughn as Vice President for Communications: www.cbpp.org/press/press-...
If a lapse in DHS funding dragged on, problems would mount including delays in pay – but there is no reason for a lapse to be long-lived if policymakers get to work on addressing the need for guardrails to protect people’s basic rights and safety.
The Admin’s lapse plan also shows that about 95% of Coast Guard employees stay on the job if funding lapses.
Take FEMA. Its work providing disaster aid through the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) continues & 84% of all FEMA staff continue to work during a lapse, according to the admin’s lapse plan. There was more than $20B in the DRF at the end of December.
Second, if the DHS funding bill lapses, there are unlikely to be serious issues in the near term. Many agencies within DHS have funds still available to them, and much of DHS's work continues during a funding lapse.
First, there is no sound reason for Congress not to pass the 5 funding bills that continue to have bipartisan, bicameral support. The Senate should pass those bills & the House should cut short its break and do the same.
Reworking the DHS funding bill to better protect public safety does not need to cause major harm within DHS or the government agencies covered by the other 5 funding bills, *if* Rs are prepared to govern responsibly. Claims to the contrary are an admission of sorts.
Our democracy depends on Congress exercising its authority & the executive branch following the law, and both branches working in service and protection of the people.
This use of the budget process is central to Congress’s constitutional power of the purse, its responsibility to provide oversight of the federal government, & the system of checks and balances that is a foundation of our democracy.
Funding bills are about more than setting funding levels - Congress uses the bills to establish prohibitions, guardrails, & requirements for the funds. They’re one of the ways that Congress exercises its constitutional power over what gov’t can & can’t do with the funds provided.
In the wake of another horrific shooting death in MN by federal immigration officers -on top of wrongful detentions, violence, & fear there & across the country- it is appropriate for the Senate to use the budget process to push for critical protections for people & communities.
Our new paper on the Trump Admin’s unlawful, unsupported-by-evidence, and harmful efforts to freeze ~$10B in funding for child care & other essential needs in 5 Dem-led states, a fundamental threat to everyone's access to public services. www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
Once Congress finalizes 2026 funding, that will only be the start of the budget process. Policymakers of both parties must be invested in stopping the corruption of federal governance, a critical feature of every free and prosperous country.
Our economy depends on stable governance, where businesses & families can trust that basic rules apply – like that federal funding appropriated by Congress reaches intended recipients regardless of how a state voted in an election.
Federal tax dollars are used to fix bridges, track disease outbreaks, fund public schools, help families pay for rent and food and go to the doctor, lend money to small businesses, invest in safe water, and much more.
Withholding federal funding can have grave consequences. Just take the 5-state freeze on child care. In just those states, those funds are used to provide care to nearly 340,000 children. Without funding, child care providers close, kids don’t get care, and parents can’t go to work.
It used to be common for presidents to say that they will govern for *all* Americans, whether they live in red or blue states – now the Trump Administration seems to have callously discarded this basic governing norm.
This follows a clear pattern. The Admin is already trying to freeze funds for low-income people in 5 Dem-led states, has based disaster relief decisions on a state’s politics, & has threatened states that include localities that won’t agree to partner w/ the admin on immigration.
Undertaking a sweeping investigation of almost all federal funding to 14 states & D.C. – all but one led by a Democrat – is a harmful & shameful escalation of the Admin’s corrupt politicization of basic governance & suggests funding freezes may be coming. www.cnn.com/2026/01/22/p...
We can invest in people and communities and reject hate and discrimination. www.cbpp.org/research/fed...
A better path is possible. We can have a fairer tax code that promotes economic growth and finances investments in our future. We can take steps to make food, health, housing, and child care more affordable for people who face real challenges making ends meet.
