Across presidential administrations, Americans and the broader economy have counted on federal funding and work by agency experts to help make their communities stronger, more prosperous, and more resilient in the face of hardship.
Beginning in 2025, however, the Trump administration upended that equilibrium, abruptly canceling billions of dollars in federal grants, freezing billions more for indefinite periods, and sharply reducing the federal workforce at key agencies. These actions undermine priorities set by Congress that reflect carefully negotiated decisions about how to spend taxpayer money. They also threaten the safety and economic security of people, businesses, and communities around the country.
In this series, the Brennan Center traces how the federal government supports initiatives that the American people count on in their daily lives — from food banks to research at the frontiers of science — and how unilateral executive actions undermine that work.
