As we watch what happens in the daylight with this new administration, what’s happening in the shadows is even more sinister — as this will have a profound negative impact on children, parents, low-income and rural families, and students across this country. The onslaught of press conferences, announcement of executive orders (60, so far), and the daily actions of the Department of Government Efficiency, a “department” created by executive order to “maximize governmental efficiency and productivity,” overshadow what is happening in the halls of Congress as the House and Senate begin to outline their and the Trump administration’s budget priorities.

Of course, most people aren’t paying attention to budget priorities as the administration attempts, loudly and illegally, to shutter federal agencies and fire government workers, but these actions threaten to cause real harm to Americans, particularly the working-class families who went to the polls in November looking to reduce the costs of eggs and everyday expenses. Instead, we are being faced with a Trump agenda and budget cuts that only benefit the wealthy while stripping programs, jobs, and services that everyday families depend on. To pay for those tax cuts for Trump’s billionaire buddies, the Congressional budget priorities are taking a wrecking ball to the economy, taking down education, healthcare, and infrastructure in its wake.

Watch Out for the House & Senate Budget Committee

The Senate Budget Committee deserves your attention because it  “remains responsible for drafting budget plans for Congress and for monitoring and enforcing rules surrounding spending, revenue, and the federal budget.” The Committee determines a broad blueprint for all federal spending, and it is also tasked with passing a budget resolution that begins the process of reconciliation, which is a legislative tool that Congress can use to impact taxes and spending with only a simple majority. The Committee’s direction to cut, cut, cut is likely to impact the lives of millions of Americans, shaping the future of economic stability, social safety nets, and opportunities for working families. What the Budget Committee chooses to prioritize is a statement about who and what it values most. And the message is clear: everyday American families are going to suffer the brunt.

What the Budget Committee chooses to prioritize is a statement about who and what it values most. And the message is clear: everyday American families are going to suffer the brunt.

On February 12th, the Senate Committee on the Budget held a markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution. The Republican-led Senate Budget Committee has made its priorities known, opening with a $175 billion demand for border security and another $150 billion for military expansion, insisting these are necessary steps. And what’s the trade-off? More than $340 billion dollars in cuts to programs that support working families, children, and education.

Issues the committee voted down include:

• Preventing funding cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Preventing funding cuts to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
• Preventing funding cuts to the National School Lunch & Breakfast Programs
• Funding for the Secure Rural Schools Program
• Preventing increases in childcare costs for working families

These cuts are not theoretical. They mean fewer school meals for hungry children, higher costs for student loans, and the complete gutting of life-saving nutrition and housing assistance. Notice that none of these addresses the price of eggs, much less college affordability.

Consider how these programs currently help millions of Americans:

• In 2024, 41 million people didn’t go hungry because SNAP. If you’re curious about the impact in your state, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has it broken out by state.
• Over 1 million public employees, teachers, school administrators, and nonprofit and government employees (at the federal, state and local level) have had their student debt cancelled in exchange for their years of public service under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program put in place under a Republican presidential administration.
• Nearly 95,000 schools and over 28 million children participated in the National School Lunch Program in the 2022–2023 school year.
• Over 10 million students attend schools that are classified as rural schools. Nearly 1 million children from birth to 6 years old benefit monthly from Child Care and Development Block Grants (click the link for how many people benefit in your state).

These people are are your co-workers, your neighbors, the people you go to church with.  And yet, the Republican majority of the Senate Budget Committee are choosing to gut these critical programs rather than reverse tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and large corporations. This budget is not just a list of numbers —  it is a clear moral statement.

Demand Accountability from Congress!

You can find how your Member of Congress voted here, and if  your senator just voted to increase child hunger, make student loans more expensive, and drive up the cost of childcare.

Call their offices. Send emails. Attend their town halls. Make your voice heard. Demand that they put the needs of working families and students ahead of wasteful, politically motivated spending.

These policies, if advanced, will negatively impact students and families. We at EdTrust remain committed to ensuring that students and their families receive the supports and services they need.