White House unveils plan for $163B in spending cuts: Report

ISTANBUL

The White House is set to release a pared-down budget blueprint on Friday proposing $163 billion in federal spending cuts for the 2026 fiscal year, The Washington Post reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The person who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed to The Washington Post that the proposal, dubbed a "skinny budget," calls for significant cuts in nondefense discretionary spending, excluding the Pentagon and programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

First reported by The Wall Street Journal, the early draft lays the groundwork for a broader, full-scale budget to be unveiled later this month.

The proposed cuts include significant reductions to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Energy Department.

The budget also calls for slashing $5 billion from the National Science Foundation, defunding the National Endowment for Democracy, and eliminating the US Institute of Peace.

These proposals echo previous efforts by President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, whose controversial US DOGE Service claimed earlier this year to have cut more than $100 billion in federal spending—moves that sparked legal battles and were, in some cases, reversed by court rulings.

The White House Office of Management and Budget, led by Director Russell Vought, has taken a more aggressive stance this year, arguing for expanded executive authority over spending decisions.

"The administration should have more authority to unilaterally cancel or redirect federal spending without congressional approval," Vought insisted.

Despite Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress, resistance remains.

Lawmakers have so far refused to codify major portions of Musk’s cuts, including the abrupt dismantling of the US Agency for International Development in early February.

The proposed 23% cut to nondefense discretionary spending will almost certainly ignite contentious negotiations on Capitol Hill. Still, with President Trump’s allies firmly in control of the legislative agenda, significant parts of the plan could become law.