Proposed FY24 Budget Cuts

Senate Democrats said that the Republican budget-cutting plans would trigger "drastic" cuts to critical programs. Speaker McCarthy promised to write the FY24 appropriations bills at the FY22 level to win over holdouts among his party's right flank during his bid for speaker.  Democrats calculate that discretionary spending would need to be cut by around $142 billion, or nearly 9 percent. If Republicans increase defense funding to match inflation and fund veterans medical care at levels required to meet previously authorized needs, nondefense spending would be cut by 30 percent to meet the Republican’s topline target. Those figures do not factor in inflation. The Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, led by Senator Stabenow, released a report laying out possible cuts if spending is returned to the FY22 level:

• a $5.6 billion cut to the NIH, $582 million cut to HHS programs focused on the opioid crisis and $325 million cut from the SAMHSA;
• a $6 billion cut to the Justice Department that would result in the loss of 21,000 law enforcement personnel positions nationwide;
• Cutting 1 million participants from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and
• a $950 million cut from the Child Care Development Block Grant, and $472 million cut for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.