NCAI and its partners at the Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty (CTS) have an important update regarding the federal budget process and its direct impact on tribal programs. CTS has released a comprehensive analysis of the President’s full FY 2026 Budget Request—an update to our initial review of the “skinny” budget and memo on the Budget Request’s interaction with Budget Reconciliation released earlier this year.
Based on current information, the analysis estimates the President’s Budget would allocate approximately $29.9 billion for programs benefiting Native Americans and Alaska Natives. This represents a decrease of $2.7 billion (or 8.2%) compared to the previous year.
This year’s budget process is particularly complex, with several moving pieces:
- Portions of the President’s Budget Request have been released, with additional details still pending.
- A budget reconciliation bill is undergoing changes in the Senate.
- Several “rescission packages” have been sent from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to Congress, proposing further cuts.
Because the process is ongoing and some information is still unavailable, CTS’s analysis combines prior year mandatory spending data, the current discretionary request, proposed reconciliation changes, and all known rescissions as of June 24, 2025.
What you can do:
CTS will continue to update this analysis as more details emerge. We strongly encourage all NCAI members to review the document and use it in your outreach to federal policymakers. Your advocacy is critical to protecting and increasing funding for tribal programs across the federal government.
Access the full CTS Analysis of the President’s Budget Request to Congress at the link below. Thank you for your attention and continued commitment to advancing the interests of Tribal Nations.
