GOP Gives Left-Wing Programs a Lifeline, Defying Trump’s Budget Cuts

House Republicans defied many of the White House’s requests for cuts to programs which don’t align with the president’s America First agenda.

In May, the Office of Management and Budget submitted its fiscal year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request asking Congress to cut funding to programs accused of wasting taxpayer dollars pushing left-wing ideology abroad. While the House Appropriations Committee reduced or eliminated funding for some of the requests, many remain untouched or barely adjusted.

For instance, OMB requested the elimination of funding to the Asia Foundation and East-West Center, which previous administrations have used for advice on how to deal with China.

However, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., the House Appropriations Committee member who sponsored the bill, included only minor cuts to the two programs, cutting the Asia Foundation by $5 million and the East-West Foundation by $5.3 million.

The Asia Foundation will receive $17 million and the East-West Foundation will receive $16.7 million. Both programs are receiving close to $17 million more than what the president requested.

The Trump administration asked for Congress to eliminate funding for the Democracy Fund, yet the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill appropriated $345 million to the foundation.

In the request to slash Democracy Fund funding, the White House cited that “U.S. economic and development aid has been funneled to radical, leftist priorities, including climate change, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and LGBTQ activities around the world.”

OMB can still cut spending for programs funded by Congress through the rescissions process.

“[OMB Director] Russ Vought is driving a series of rescissions, pocket rescissions, and impoundments prior to September 30 that will provide a pathway to strip hundreds of billions dollars from Appropriations,” former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told The Daily Signal.

House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee rejected the White House’s proposal to wind down the Economic Development Administration.

OMB requested $624 million in cuts to the [Economic Development Administration], citing programs that “are not simply wasteful” but “have been hijacked and operate as spending earmarks for politicians’ favored projects as well as subsidies for idealogues who prioritize ‘racial equity’ and the radicalized climate agenda.”

“[Economic Development Administration] has funded projects like resurrecting dead comedians as holograms at the National Comedy Center in New York, constructing a ‘Pride Plaza’ in Portland, Oregon, and supporting Evergreen Climate Innovations, a ‘decarbonizing’ group in Chicago,” the Discretionary Budget Request says. “As part of the President’s federalism agenda, eliminating [Economic Development Administration] would drive economic decision-making out of Washington and to States and localities.”

But the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, sponsored by Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, gave the agency $360 million to remain available until expended. Moran did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment.

President Donald Trump requested a 75% reduction in funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation in his 2026 discretionary budget request.

OMB asked for just $224 million in discretionary funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation in fiscal year 2026, a decrease of $706 million from FY 2025.

Yet House Republicans chose to keep funding at its previous levels, $930 million.

House Republican’s proposal for fiscal year 2026 included full funding for the National Endowment for Democracy, even though Trump called for its defunding.

The president’s budget requested terminating the Mars Sample Return program, but in the House Appropriations Committee’s report for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, Congress allocated $300 million to the mission.

The White House’s request said the Mars Sample Return mission is “grossly over budget.”

The president’s budget proposed eliminating the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant and the Native Hawaiian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund.

“The Budget streamlines housing assistance for Native Americans by eliminating competitive grant programs and focusing available resources on the main formula grant to Tribes,” the White House’s Discretionary Budget Request says. “Consistent with similar Budget proposals eliminating housing programs, the Budget eliminates the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant. The program has large balances and only one grantee, which would be more appropriately funded by the State of Hawaii.”

However, the Transportation-HUD Appropriations bill included $18.3 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant and $28 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund. The Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant maintained full funding.

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