War on the poor

Late Friday afternoon, the Trump administration released the details of its 2026 budget request. The 1,223-page document proposes slashing around $163 billion in non-defense spending. That isn’t nearly enough to offset the trillions in tax cuts the administration is simultaneously seeking in the reconciliation bill. But the spending cuts would have severe consequences for the most vulnerable Americans, especially poor children.

For example, the Trump administration is reducing funding that helps pregnant women, children, and breastfeeding mothers who are nutritionally at risk afford fruits and vegetables. Approximately 6.7 million people currently benefit from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), including 1.5 million pregnant and post-partum mothers, 1.5 million infants, and 3.7 million children under the age of five. To qualify, a beneficiary must live in a household with an income at or below 185% of the federal poverty line and be deemed nutritionally at risk by a healthcare professional or other expert.