Why some government cuts should scare you

A summary of the ways the federal government protects Americans from harm

The idea of government as protector goes back centuries and was an important motivator of Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence, when he was thinking about how he envisioned the United States.

"The chief purpose of government is to protect life. Abandon that, and you have abandoned all,” is one of the third president’s well known quotes. Some interpret this statement narrowly to mean that military defense is the government’s main purpose. But it can also be read more broadly to include the many other ways our government protects its citizens from harm.

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

All together this focus – to protect us from food-borne illness, warn us about natural disasters and help us afterward, ensure we are safe flying on airplanes and making sure new drugs are developed correctly – constitutes a small part of the federal budget. But these protections affect the peacetime lives of more Americans than nearly any other budget category.

First, in case you’re interested, here’s a quick summary of the primary ways our tax dollars are spent by the federal government. These numbers come from the fiscal 2024 budget:

– Social Security: $860 billion.

– Medicare: $859.6 billion.

– Defense Department: $782.1 billion.

– Interest on the national debt: $582.5 billion.

– Healthcare services: $581.3 billion.

– Veterans Affairs: $200.1 billion

– Agriculture Department: $132.7 billion

– Transportation: $73.3 billion

Many of these functions include money to protect Americans, but for this post I want to focus on some more specific guardian roles, except for the military, which also fits that description. These departments and programs have all been targets of budget cutting by the Trump administration, and some of the cuts dig deep.

FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration regulates civil aviation with a focus on safety. This agency is in charge of air traffic controllers, investigates plane crashes and certifies new planes before they’re allowed to take on commercial passengers. The agency has an annual budget of just under $20 billion. The agency’s budget proposal for next year asks for money for a new radar system and more air traffic controllers.

Earlier this year, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cut 400 jobs from the FAA, which government officials said did not include any safety personnel, but an Associated Press report says those cuts did include people who support air safety. Other national news organizations reported that some of those fired as probationary employees also represent the future of the agency and its safety divisions, even if they were not fully trained yet.

FDA

The Food and Drug Administration focuses on both food and drug safety and has a budget of about $7.2 billion. Agency employees approve new drugs, inspect food processing plants, set rules for food safety and investigate incidents of foodborne illness. They also decide what drugs can be used for, investigate safety concerns, approve medical devices, regulate cosmetics and veterinary care. And the agency advises the American public about their diets.

One of the first actions of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was to cut staff at the FDA. The initial plan called for cuts of 3,500 people, including numerous positions at the agency’s food safety labs and hundreds who travel around the globe investigating both food and drugs destined for American homes. Some of those cuts are now being reassessed after it became clear they were related to food and health inspections.

Photo by Paul Zoetemeijer on Unsplash

National Weather Service

The National Weather Service studies weather and climate data, makes weather forecasts and warns communities of impending weather events and natural disasters. The weather service, with a federal budget of $6.8 billion, is a safety agency because its primary goal is helping people prepare for and respond to weather, water and climate-related events.

The weather service is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the agency that also is in charge of climate research, which has been the target of many Trump administration/DOGE cuts. Those cuts focus on the climate research side of the agency but most Americans would agree that climate change is the biggest current threat against our health and welfare.

ProPublica says those cuts would be dramatic, cutting NOAA’s funding by 27%, eliminating as Trump ordered, “functions of the Department that are misaligned with the President’s agenda and the expressed will of the American people” including almost all of those related to the study of climate change.

Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights

One could argue that the entire Education Department protects Americans, but I’m going to focus on the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates civil rights complaints against educational institutions. The office focuses on "preventing, identifying, ending, and remedying discrimination against America's students" based on race, national origin, sex, age and disability.

The Office of Civil Rights also belongs on this list because it has been targeted by the Trump administration for cuts. According to NPR, nearly all the attorneys and support staff in the office were fired in the first stage of cuts at the Education Department.

National Nuclear Safety Administration

The people who protect workers building nuclear weapons and the people who live nearby are part of a federal agency called the National Nuclear Safety Administration. The agency, which is a semi-autonomous section of the U.S. Energy Department and has a budget of about $24 billion, also secures the nation’s nuclear stockpile.

The agency was one of the first targets of DOGE and cuts of safety inspectors has thrown the system into chaos. The administration tried to pull back on these cuts but it’s not clear from the news coverage what exactly has been the result.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Lots of CDC programs are devoted to protecting human health but one particular department that has been slashed by the administration is specifically about safety: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The department that aims to protect worker safety – from miners to firefighters – has been eliminated and more than a thousand people laid off.

Homeland Security

DOGE has targeted civil rights offices in other parts of the federal government, including in Homeland Security. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is focused (or should I say was focused) on making sure that actions by the rest of Homeland Security does not trample on people’s civil rights.

That department has been eliminated at a crucial time for its work, much like many of these other cuts.

I doubt this list is complete because Trump administration actions seem to be constantly evolving. If you know of other agencies that protect Americans that should be included, please leave a message in the comments.