Gillibrand Statement On President Trump’s Request To Slash Programs That Help American Families In Order To Fund His War In Iran

Gillibrand Statement On President Trump's Request To Slash Programs That Help American Families In Order To Fund His War In Iran

Apr 3, 2026

Today, in response to the release of President Trump's budget request calling for a $73 billion cut to domestic programs in favor of a massive increase in defense spending, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, issued the following statement:

"Once again, President Trump is putting endless wars first and working families last. Americans are struggling with the sky-high cost of groceries, gas, electricity, and life-saving prescription drugs. Instead of focusing on bringing down prices and helping people get ahead, the president wants to slash vital programs that help them afford everyday essentials and keep roofs over their heads, all to fund his reckless and unconstitutional military adventurism. It's simply wrong.

"Earlier this week, the president said it was 'not possible' for the federal government to fund Medicare, Medicaid, and child care for American families because we need to focus on 'military protection.' He clearly intends to follow through on that idea, and we cannot let him. I urge my colleagues in Congress to reject the president's absurd demands and continue to fund programs that help the American people and our economy thrive, not waste billions of taxpayer dollars on an increasingly expensive and deadly war that nobody wants."

President Trump's budget would significantly decrease funding for health research, education, energy investments, and housing and homelessness assistance, among many other critical programs that help American families get by. This includes eliminating the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which 1.2 million New York families depend on to help afford their energy bills, as well as defunding programs that support the development of affordable housing.

The president's budget request also contains cuts to transportation programs that are vital to New York families. This includes a $327 million cut to Amtrak; a $485.5 million cut to the Capital Investment Grants Program, which provides federal funds for improving and expanding transit systems; and a $371.6 million cut to the Essential Air Service program, which supports air service to small and rural communities, including five airports in New York (Massena International Airport, Ogdensburg International Airport, Plattsburgh International Airport, Adirondack Regional Airport, and Watertown International Airport).

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