Schumer Says Democrats Plan to Undo Majority of DOGE Budget Reductions

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are working to restore most funding cuts imposed by the Department of Government Efficiency as lawmakers draft the 2026 transportation and housing budget.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats intend to reverse most of the spending reductions implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, as Congress negotiates the upcoming federal budget for transportation and housing programs.

Schumer made the remarks during a public discussion at the Center for American Progress, where he was asked what lawmakers could do to reinstate funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development after DOGE-led cuts. In response, Schumer said Democrats are already addressing the issue in ongoing appropriations work.

“If you look at the budget actually, we’re working on right now — and we’ll have the T-HUD budget, you know, transportation and HUD budget, we restore most of the cuts and even go higher than previous years on many of the programs that DOGE slashed,” Schumer said.

The comments come as lawmakers continue negotiations over the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. According to Fox News, a final version of the bill has not yet been released. The outlet reported that the Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed a plan that would increase fiscal year 2026 funding by $5 billion compared with 2025 levels, though specific program allocations remain under discussion.

DOGE’s role in federal agencies has drawn increased attention in recent months. In February, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced that the department had launched a DOGE task force that identified $260 million in savings across HUD operations. The initiative focused on evaluating spending, staffing and internal processes.

According to a HUD press release, the DOGE task force was “composed of HUD employees who will examine how to best maximize the agency’s budget and ensure all programs, processes and personnel are working together to advance the purpose of the department.”

Schumer’s remarks indicate that Democrats intend to use the appropriations process to roll back many of those reductions as Congress continues to debate the scope and priorities of federal housing and transportation spending for the next fiscal year.