Trump budget jeopardizes health of American children

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The Trump Administration’s proposed “skinny” budget for Fiscal Year 2026 includes deep and dangerous cuts to federal programs that form the backbone of public health in our communities.

• Proposed cuts to the federal budget could negatively impact children’s health programs.
• The proposed budget cuts include billions of dollars from the NIH, CDC, HRSA, and CMS.
• Healthcare providers are witnessing the impact of budget cuts on children and families.
• A pediatric nurse practitioner urges lawmakers to reject the proposed budget and prioritize children’s health.

A mother rushes into the emergency department cradling her 6-month-old baby. He is lethargic, seizing and in critical condition. The cause? Severely low sodium levels in his blood — a result of formula diluted with extra water to make it last longer. With grocery prices climbing and her SNAP benefits running out before the end of the month, she felt she had no other choice.

This story is not an outlier. Pediatric clinicians across Wisconsin are seeing the real and devastating consequences of policies that fail to prioritize the health and well-being of children and families. And now, the situation could get worse.

The Trump Administration’s proposed “skinny” budget for Fiscal Year 2026 includes deep and dangerous cuts to federal programs that form the backbone of public health in our communities. These proposed reductions include:

• $18 billion from the National Institutes of Health – stalling critical pediatric research and innovation
• $3.5 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – compromising disease surveillance, immunization programs, and emergency response efforts
• $1.73 billion from the Health Resources and Services Administration – cutting access to essential primary and preventive care services for children and families
• $674 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – threatening the Medicaid and CHIP programs that provide health coverage to nearly half of Wisconsin’s children.

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And as if that weren’t enough, further reductions to SNAP and other nutrition support programs are also on the table.

Front-line health providers see impact of federal cuts everyday

These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are lifelines. Vital services that help children survive and thrive. When families can’t afford formula, when clinics lose funding for immunization programs, when children lose health coverage, the consequences are immediate and, in many cases, irreversible. As front-line providers, we witness this every day.

We can do better. Our federal budget is a reflection of our national values. It should not balance its books on the backs of our youngest and most vulnerable.

I implore Wisconsin’s elected officials to reject this harmful budget proposal. Think of that infant in the emergency room. Think of the thousands of other children across our state whose health and future depend on robust public health infrastructure, access to care, and support for families in need.

We urge lawmakers to work toward a bipartisan budget that invests in children, strengthens public health, and protects the building blocks of a healthy society. Wisconsin’s children deserve every opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.

Our chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners stands ready to partner in this effort. Let’s move forward — not backward — when it comes to the health of our children.

Christine Schindler is a critical care pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s WI, a clinical professor at Marquette University, and the President of the Wisconsin Chapter of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. She has been caring for critically ill and injured children for almost 30 years. All opinions expressed are her own.