John,

Yesterday, we shared with you that the Trump administration has laid off one-third of Department of Education employees, which will completely undermine the department’s ability to enforce civil rights laws.¹

Afterwards, we learned that the Department of Agriculture has cut programs―by more than $1 billion―that buy locally produced food from ranchers and farmers, which feed children in our public schools and low-income families at food banks.²

And now, the Trump administration is publicly declaring they will ignore the spending package before it is even enacted, mapping out a strategy to ignore congressional authority to slash spending further.³

This is exactly what we mean when we say that the Trump administration is already illegally shutting down the government―ignoring laws passed by Congress that appropriate funds for education and nutrition.

Thanks to our pressure, Senate Democrats are opposing the House-passed government funding bill that would continue to allow Elon Musk and Donald Trump to decimate the federal workforce and illegally freeze federal funds for critical programs and services.

Keep the pressure on the Senate to reject this continuing resolution (CR), which is expected to get a vote tomorrow.

This funding bill not only further enables Elon Musk’s attacks on our government and on civil servants―including the firing of 6,000 veterans⁴―it also reflects large-scale cuts to human needs programs. The bill:

• Underfunds rent subsidies for low-income tenants by more than $700 million, which could lead to 32,000 households being evicted and homelessness services cut

• Allows Musk and Trump to continue firing thousands of workers, including 7,000 from the Social Security Administration (about 12 percent of its workforce)

• Slashes nearly $1 billion out of the District of Columbia budget, including deep cuts of $400 million for DC public and charter schools and nearly $240 million from public safety. This would not save the federal government any funds―it simply attacks DC’s home rule and hurts its residents

• Gives Elon Musk and Donald Trump broad discretion to eliminate programs, including college preparation and health care programs that help underserved populations, as well as environmental programs

• Provides nearly $10 billion to ICE to increase detention beds for immigrants, including families, with no oversight, potentially at the expense of combating illicit narcotics or human trafficking

• Fails to ensure ongoing funding for veterans’ medical care and removes specific funding for homeless assistance, opioid and substance use, and other health programs for veterans, again allowing Trump and Musk to move funding from these services

Send a message to your senators now demanding they reject this partisan government funding bill that allows Elon Musk and Donald Trump to continue to dismantle the federal government.

Together, we’re showing members of Congress that when they stand up for our families and communities, we have their backs.

In solidarity,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

¹ Education Department Fires 1,300 Workers, Gutting Its Staff
² USDA cuts over $1 billion in funding for schools, local food purchases
³ SCOOP: Trump crafts plan to cut spending without Congress after shutdown is averted
⁴ Veterans flocked to government jobs. Now thousands are being fired.