The House Republican debt-ceiling-and-cuts bill would cut $3.6 trillion over ten years from the part of the budget that funds child care, schools, college aid, housing, medical research, transit, and many other national priorities.
The cuts would be severe — an average of 13 percent in 2024 rising to 24 percent by 2033, if they are spread evenly across all of these “discretionary” programs (called that because their funding is not automatic but set annually).[1]
If any programs are protected from cuts, the unprotected programs would be hit much harder. Many House Republicans have said they won’t cut defense or veterans’ benefits, which would require cutting other programs by an average of 33 percent in 2024, and 59 percent by 2033.
This interactive tool starts by protecting those two areas; drag those and other programs back and forth to see how big the resulting cuts would be to unprotected programs.
*Program descriptions are non-exhaustive.
Defense Department and U.S. armed forces (includes pay, weapons procurement, operating costs, maintenance, construction, and research and development). Also Energy Department’s nuclear weapons programs.
State Department and U.S. embassies abroad; development, health, and other international assistance; military assistance; contributions to UN and other international organizations; Export-Import Bank.
Space exploration and scientific programs at NASA; scientific and engineering research and facilities supported by the National Science Foundation; and the Energy Department’s network of National Laboratories.
Weather forecasts/warnings, mortgage insurance programs such as FHA loan guarantees, the Small Business Administration and its credit programs, promotion and oversight of exports; Agriculture Department programs such as agricultural pest and disease control, food safety/inspections, research and extension services, and farm credit programs; Energy Department activities such as for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, improvements to electric power grids, and improved carbon reduction and mitigation strategies.
National parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges; conservation programs on agricultural lands; flood control and Army Corps of Engineers projects for river and harbor navigation; EPA efforts, including anti-pollution law enforcement, hazardous waste cleanup, support for state and local programs, and funding for drinking water and wastewater treatment improvements.
Air traffic control and other FAA operations, part of federal support for highway and mass transit infrastructure, support for Amtrak; community development block grants, some tribal programs, rural development programs.
Funding to K-12 schools, including Title I grants for services to help students from families with low incomes succeed, and grants for special education services to children with disabilities; Pell Grants and other college affordability programs for students with modest incomes; some funding for colleges and universities (especially those with a mission of serving students of color); funding for job training and vocational education.
Housing assistance for low-income households (e.g., housing vouchers, project-based rental assistance, and public housing), grants to address homelessness, funding for Head Start, child care assistance, child welfare services, family violence prevention programs, Meals on Wheels and other services for older adults, nutrition assistance for people who are pregnant, infants, and young children (WIC), aid for refugees and other migrants, assistance with home heating and cooling costs, and other social services programs.
Disease detection and tracking, vaccination, and other CDC health promotion programs; NIH-conducted or -funded medical research, such as for cancer; health services for American Indians and Alaska Natives; FDA drug and food safety activities; funding for mental health services and substance use prevention and treatment, community health centers, maternal and child health, family planning, and other health programs.
Medical and hospital care for veterans, provided in VA or community facilities; also construction and maintenance of VA health facilities and medical and prosthetic research.
Justice Department operating expenses, including investigative and law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, ATF; grants to state and local law enforcement and other agencies; DHS enforcement activities; enforcement of civil rights laws; operation of federal courts and defender services; Legal Services Corporation (legal assistance for low-income people in non-criminal matters).
Expenses of federal benefit program administration, including Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, and federal employee retirement. Operating expenses of Congress and the Executive Office of the President; Treasury Department (including the IRS); federal buildings and facilities; National Archives; personnel management; assistance to U.S. Territories and Washington, DC; election campaign law enforcement.
