To the Editor,

Congress has until Jan. 30 to pass a long-overdue FY26 budget. This one must repair the damage inflicted in 2025.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivered massive tax cuts to the wealthy by slashing Medicaid and SNAP. Those cuts start in 2026, threatening millions with hunger, poverty, and loss of care. To make matters worse, the Trump administration is now targeting housing and homeless assistance. Finally, the shutdown of USAID-led anti-poverty programs has already contributed to the deaths of 700,000 people worldwide this year.

The FY26 budget must be a course correction. It must stop the cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, fully fund Housing Choice Vouchers, and reinvest in proven global health and education programs that save lives and reduce poverty.

Above all, Congress must reassert its constitutional authority. Another year of the Administration ignoring congressional spending directives is unacceptable. Any FY26 agreement must include enforceable safeguards to ensure funds are spent as Congress intends.

Members of Congress may rest over the holidays. But when they return, they must deliver a budget that serves people, not billionaires.

Sincerely,

William Deignan