Trump Draft Budget Decimates Health Services, Surrenders Americans to Preventable Disease and Premature Death

DeLauro: “If this dangerous budget was ever enacted, communities across the United States would suffer.”

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s draft 2026 Department of Health and Human Services budget:

“President Trump promised to fight for the working class, but instead he, Elon Musk, and RFK Jr. are attacking the programs and services that keep middle class, working class, and vulnerable families safe and healthy in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

“If this dangerous budget was ever enacted, communities across the United States would suffer. The Trump administration is aiming to further eviscerate the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration—agencies that boost public health, protect Americans from infectious diseases, lead the world in biomedical research, and help keep our food and drugs safe. President Trump and RFK Jr. want to eliminate programs focused on chronic disease, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services that save lives. 

“This budget shows President Trump and RFK Jr. want to make it even harder for families by completely destroying Head Start, which allows almost a million kids to receive high-quality preschool. And by eliminating the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), millions of families facing extreme weather and struggling with the cost of living will be unable to keep their homes warm in the winter or cool in the summer. 

“Contrary to what President Trump and Elon Musk believe, Congress decides how the federal government spends taxpayers’ dollars. And any funding bill needs the support of both Democrats and Republicans in the House and in the Senate. There is no way this budget will ever become law.”

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