01 May 2025 BPC Action Recommendations for FY 2026 Appropriations in Budget and Appropriations

When it comes to the federal budget, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) advocates for responsible investments that grow the economy and help working families thrive, reduce waste and deliver better outcomes, and make the difficult but necessary compromises to improve our fiscal outlook. To that end, BPC Action encourages Congress to prioritize spending that:  

  • Secures American energy and agriculture innovation research through funding of advanced nuclear energy, carbon dioxide removal, critical minerals, and state-of-the-art agricultural innovation to bolster U.S. competitiveness, increase American jobs, and reduce global emissions.  
  • Strengthens human capital development by ensuring strong support and continuation of education and workforce programs targeted to our most vulnerable students, families, and communities, including funding for child care and preschool grants, Title I and IDEA grants, research and data transparency, Pell Grants, and student aid.   
  • Increases housing production and preservation and helps families access and afford housing.  
  • Improves health outcomes, reduces health care costs, and makes quality health care affordable and accessible for all—including through investments in behavioral health, digital health and artificial intelligence, long-term care, public health and prevention, and rural health.  
  • Enhances Congress’s ability to respond to an evolving policymaking environment and meet the needs of the American people through targeted investments that build institutional capacity and develop modern legislative tools.

It is critical to recognize that the country’s fiscal trajectory is unsustainable, creating a drag on the economy that increasingly impacts every taxpayer and business. Rapidly rising debt and interest payments are slowing growth and making it more expensive for Americans to buy homes, attend college, and pay off credit cards. It is achievable to both prudently invest in the priorities outlined above and to exercise oversight that improves government efficiency and fiscal responsibility. See our letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders outlining how to achieve this balance in the FY26 budget. 

Also see BPC Action’s letters to Appropriations subcommittees detailing specific programmatic recommendations for FY26: 

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