The Federal Government is Running on Autopilot

With the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 1968) signed into law on March 15, 2025, Congress extended last year's funding levels through September 30, 2025, without passing any new Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills.

A Continuing Resolution (CR) is supposed to be an emergency tool — a temporary bridge to buy time for real budgeting. But it has become the only workable path in today's gridlocked Congress. Now, the focus shifts forward to Fiscal Year 2026.

By October 1, 2025, the federal government must have a new budget or risk shutdowns, disruptions, and uncertainty across the country. Right now, the White House is preparing its FY2026 budget proposal. Early reporting suggests significant changes will be proposed. According to a recent New York Times article by Alan Rappeport and Tony Romm, early drafts indicate the administration may call for:

1. Deep cuts to child care, housing assistance, and health research
2. Major reductions in public health preparedness
3. Elimination of longstanding foreign aid programs
4. Budget reductions for agencies like the IRS, FBI, and DEA

This means billions of dollars and key programs' futures are on the table.

What Happens Next — and Why It Matters?

The budget process now moves into its critical stages.

First, the White House must formally submit the FY2026 budget proposal to Congress. Tradition and the Budget Act of 1974 require the President to present a comprehensive request each spring, setting the tone for negotiations before the October 1 deadline. But submission is just the starting point.

The budget proposal is more than math — it is a statement of national priorities. What we choose to fund — and what we decide to cut — reflects what kind of country we want to build. After submission, the real work begins:

1. The House and Senate Budget Committees will draft budget resolutions.
2. Appropriations Committees must then pass 12 separate funding bills covering the entire federal government.

If Congress fails to act in time, the country could again be forced to rely on short-term CRs or face a shutdown. And given the scale of the proposed cuts, the FY2026 debate will not be quiet. Hearings, public advocacy, and legal challenges are inevitable.

Where Public Input Fits In

Unlike some federal policymaking processes, such as environmental rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act, the federal budget process does not include a formal "public comment period." But public voices still have powerful, if indirect, influence at key stages:

1. During agency planning, some departments seek informal feedback from stakeholders.
2. During Congressional hearings, citizens and advocacy groups can submit testimony and shape the record.
3. During appropriations, grassroots campaigns, petitions, and direct lobbying efforts often push members of Congress toward particular funding priorities.
4. Throughout the debate, media coverage, advocacy efforts, and shifts in public opinion can and do move political decision-making.

In short, there’s no official comment box — but public engagement can, and often does, shape what ultimately gets funded.

Public Policy Bottom Line

Budgets aren't just numbers tallied and spun

They're blueprints that build what we'll soon become.

The CR bought time — but not for long,

Now, the real debates have grown fierce and strong.

Who and what will America choose?

Where we invest, we shape what we'll lose.

This spring and summer will set the course,

For a future of hope — or a future forced.

October will come, the deadline is near —

The choices we make will echo for years.