Cheat Sheet: President Trump's FY26 Budget Request

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President’s Budget Request – Fiscal Year (FY) 2026

On May 30th, the Trump administration shared additional details of President Trump’s FY 2026 Budget, expanding on the “skinny budget” released earlier in May. As with all presidential budget proposals, this transmittal serves as a messaging document, signaling the administration’s policy priorities. The authority to make final spending decisions lies with Congress, and Congressional appropriators have no obligation to enact its recommendations.

Budget Documents:

• Fiscal Year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request (skinny budget)
• Overview of the Fiscal Year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request (4-page summary)
• Technical Supplement to the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget- Appendix (new as of 5/30)

Topline Numbers:

• Non-defense discretionary budget authority: $557.4 billion for FY 2026, 22.6% below current-year spending
• Defense discretionary budget authority: $1.01 trillion dollars for FY 2026, 13% above current-year spending

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):

The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) “Budget in Brief” (55 pages) reflects the administration’s broader priorities of reorganizing federal health agencies and promoting the policies of the Make America Health Again (MAHA) initiative. The HHS request proposes $94.7 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Department in FY 2026, approximately a 25% cut.

Highlights:

• Administration for a Healthy America (AHA): HHS plans to combine multiple agencies— including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and some programs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—into a new, unified entity called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). HHS expects that this realignment will allow the Department to do more at a lower cost to taxpayers by increasing operational efficiency and cutting bureaucratic sprawl.

• Chief Technology Officer (CTO): The budget includes $130 million to establish the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), to include the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), previously under the Assistant Secretary for Administration, and the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP). CTO, through OCIO and ASTP will lead and coordinate HHS’ cybersecurity and health information technology efforts, including through policy development, and standards coordination, and protecting data assets and IT systems. $100 million of CTO’s budget will go to the HHS Cybersecurity Program, which ensures that Departmental IT is designed and maintained with the advanced security and data privacy protections needed to operate in a landscape of growing cyber threats.

• TEFCA: The President’s FY26 Budget Request signals support for TEFCA by saying “CTO will also continue implementing a nationwide technical floor for healthcare interoperability through the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). TEFCA provides network-to network health information sharing and reduces barriers to accessing the network communication.”

• Office for Civil Rights (OCR): OCR, along with 3 other existing offices, would be combined under a new entity called the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement (ASE). ASE’s mission is to serve as a unified guardian of American health, rights, and research.

• HHS Office of the Secretary: $30 million shall be for necessary expenses of activities related to advancing health information technology policy, including for grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements for the development and advancement of interoperable health information technology.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):

The President’s Budget Request aims to refocus “CISA on its core mission—Federal network defense and enhancing the security and resilience of critical infrastructure—while eliminating weaponization and waste. The Budget also removes offices that are duplicative of existing and effective programs at the State and Federal level. The Budget eliminates programs focused on so-called misinformation and propaganda as well as external engagement offices such as international affairs.” CISA is requesting $2.4 billion dollars for the Department in FY 2026, approximately a $495 million cut. This is a slightly steeper cut than what was originally included in the skinny budget. The budget request would reduce CISA's workforce by 1,083 positions, bringing the total down to 2,649, a 29% reduction. More information can be found in CISA’s Congressional Justification.

For questions, please contact CHIME’s Public Policy team at [email protected].