![\"What\u2019s](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130039306,imgsize-1168285,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/trump.jpg\" "\\"Trump\u2019s")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nUnited States President Donald Trump<\/a> has unveiled his fiscal year 2027 discretionary budget<\/a> request, outlining a change in federal spending priorities towards defence and security while proposing reductions across education, research and domestic programmes.The $2.2 trillion proposal includes $1.5 trillion in military spending. This represents an increase of $445 billion, more than 40 percent above current defence spending levels. The proposal comes at a time when the US is engaged in a conflict with Iran, which is estimated to be costing over $1 billion per day.To offset part of the increase in defence spending, the administration has proposed $73 billion in reductions to domestic programmes. This represents a 10 percent cut affecting federal agencies linked to research and education.The budget proposal, while not binding, serves as a policy outline for the administration. Congress retains authority over final spending decisions.Budget documents describe several domestic programmes as \u201cwoke,\u201d \u201cwasteful,\u201d and \u201cinefficient,\u201d and state that the administration is committed to eliminating what it calls \u201cthe weaponized rot in our Federal Government once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n The proposal outlines reductions across major research institutions.Funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be reduced by $5 billion. The plan includes eliminating multiple institutes and centres, including the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Fogarty International Center and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.The administration states that \u201cNIH broke the trust of the American people with wasteful spending, misleading information, risky research, and the promotion of dangerous ideologies that undermine public health.\u201dThe National Science Foundation would face a 55 percent budget cut, reducing funding from $8.8 billion to $4 billion. The proposal also calls for ending funding for its social, behavioral and economic sciences division.Other agencies facing cuts include:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The budget outlines a 2.9 percent reduction for the United States Department of Education and places it on what the administration describes as a \u201cpath to elimination.\u201dA total of $8.5 billion in K-12 funding would be cut or consolidated into block grants. These would be distributed to states under a $2 billion \u201cMake Education Great Again\u201d programme, allowing states more control over spending decisions.For higher education, proposed cuts total $2.7 billion. These include:<\/p>\n The proposal also reduces federal contributions to the Federal Work Study programme by about 90 percent, requiring employers to cover a larger share of student wages.One area of increase is the Pell Grant programme. The proposal includes a $10.5 billion increase, raising total funding to $33 billion and setting the maximum award at $7,395 for the 2027-28 academic year.<\/p>\n Reactions to the proposal have been divided.Senator Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, described the proposal as \u201ctruly historic,\u201d stating that \u201cit is more than justified by the threats we face throughout the world.\u201dSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats \u201cwill make sure it never passes.\u201dSenator Patty Murray, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated that \u201cthe vision President Trump has outlined for America in his budget is bleak and unacceptable,\u201d adding that \u201cPresident Trump wants to slash medical research to fund costly foreign wars.\u201dThe Association of American Universities urged Congress to \u201creject these short-sighted cuts and increase investments in America\u2019s scientific enterprise,\u201d Forbes<\/span> reports.<\/p>\n The proposal is expected to increase the federal deficit beyond the projected $1.9 trillion for fiscal year 2026, adding to the national debt, which currently exceeds $39 trillion.The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities criticised the proposal, stating it uses \u201cimplausible assumptions to make its numbers look better than they are likely to be\u201d and \u201cprovides no roadmap for seizing opportunities or addressing our challenges.\u201dThe Cato Institute also raised concerns, stating that \u201cthe presidential budget is supposed to be the administration\u2019s opportunity to explain to the American people how it would put our budget back on track,\u201d adding that the proposal \u201cincludes no comprehensive 10-year fiscal plan.\u201dThe budget proposal outlines the administration\u2019s priorities but requires approval from Congress, which is responsible for federal spending decisions. Past proposals of similar scale have faced resistance.The outcome will depend on negotiations in the months ahead. In the meantime, the proposal provides an early indication of how federal funding for education, research and social programmes could change in the coming years.<\/div>\nCuts to research funding
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Proposed changes to education funding
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Political and institutional reactions
<\/h2>\n<\/p>\nConcerns over deficit and long-term impact
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