2025 Budget: What It Means for Black America

If you’ve ever had to stretch a paycheck, rely on Medicaid for doctor visits, or help an aging parent afford their prescriptions, then this budget should have you all the way concerned. The GOP’s latest financial plan—passed on February 25, 2025—isn’t just numbers on a page. It’s a direct attack on working-class and low-income families, and for Black America, the consequences could be devastating.

This budget slashes Medicaid, food assistance (SNAP), and housing support, gives tax breaks to the wealthy, and even proposes higher student loan payments for borrowers—all while leaving everyday folks to struggle. Let’s break down what this actually means for our communities.

1. Healthcare Disparities Worsen (Medicaid Cuts Hit Black Families & Seniors Hardest)

We know Black people already get the short end of the stick when it comes to healthcare. Now, this budget wants to strip away $880 billion from Medicaid over the next decade. (American Progress)

• Who does this hit the hardest?
  • Black mothers—who already face the highest maternal mortality rates—could lose critical prenatal and postpartum care.
  • Black children—who are more likely to be insured through Medicaid—could lose doctor’s visits, vaccinations, and routine checkups.
  • Elderly Black folks—who worked their whole lives and rely on Medicaid-funded nursing homes—could be forced out of care or left with nowhere to turn.

Imagine your grandmother needing round-the-clock care but suddenly getting kicked out of her nursing home because Medicaid funding dried up. Imagine having to choose between paying rent or taking your child to the doctor. This is what’s at stake.

2. More Black Families Going Hungry (SNAP Cuts)

When grocery prices are sky-high, food assistance can be the difference between a stocked fridge and an empty one. But this budget? It’s taking food off the table—literally.

• Over 9 million people could lose SNAP benefits (food stamps).
• One in four Black households relies on food assistance at some point in the year. (CBPP)

Picture this: A single mom working two jobs to provide for her kids suddenly loses her SNAP benefits because of these cuts. That’s less money for fresh food, fewer meals, and more stress—all in a country that wastes billions of pounds of food every year.

3. Housing Instability & Homelessness Will Rise

We all know affordable housing is a crisis—especially for Black families. Rent is high, wages haven’t kept up, and gentrification is pushing us out of our neighborhoods. This budget only makes things worse.

• Black Americans make up 40% of the homeless population, despite being just 13% of the U.S. population.
• More than half of Black renters spend over 30% of their income on rent, meaning even a small financial hit could lead to eviction.

What does this mean in real life?

• More families doubling up in apartments because rent is too high.
• More Black seniors becoming homeless because they can’t afford rising costs.
• More kids sleeping in shelters because their parents can’t make ends meet.

Instead of helping people keep a roof over their heads, this budget turns its back on the very folks who need stability the most.

4. The Wealthy Get Richer, Black Workers Pay More

Let’s talk about who’s really winning in this budget. The top 1%—people making $732,800 or more—get massive tax cuts. But for the rest of us? Our taxes could actually go up. (WSJ)

• Who wins? Billionaires, big corporations, and CEOs.
• Who pays? Middle-class workers, Black small business owners, and single-parent households.

Right now, the median Black family’s net worth is just $24,100, compared to $188,200 for white families. And instead of closing this gap, the GOP budget widens it—making it harder for Black folks to build wealth, buy homes, and get ahead.

5. Student Loan Payments Are About to Get Even Worse

If you thought student loan payments were bad before, this budget makes them worse. It eliminates income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, meaning borrowers—especially Black grads—will see higher monthly payments. (Forbes)

• Black borrowers already owe more than any other group—an average of $52,000 per graduate.
• Almost half of Black borrowers default on their loans within 12 years.
• Without repayment plans, student loan bills could jump by $200 a month or more.

That’s an extra $200 a month—on top of rent, groceries, childcare, and bills. How are we supposed to build a future when we can’t even catch a break from student debt?

If this budget tells us anything, it’s that the government isn’t looking out for us—so we have to look out for each other. This isn’t just about policy, it’s about people—our families, our futures, and our survival.

The choices made in this budget could affect generations of Black Americans. It could mean:
More sick elders with no healthcare.
More kids going hungry.
More families pushed into homelessness.
More student loan debt that keeps us stuck.
More wealth handed to the rich—while we struggle to make ends meet.

What’s Next?

This budget isn’t law yet—here’s what happens next:

1. Senate Review – The Senate debates and may change the bill.
2. Final Vote – If changes are made, the House and Senate must agree on a final version.
3. Presidential Decision – The President can sign it into law or veto it.
4. Veto Override? – If vetoed, Congress can override it with a two-thirds majority.

What Can You Do?

Call your Senators and demand they oppose these cuts.
Support advocacy groups fighting for our communities.

Pay attention. Stay informed. Mobilize. SAVE YOUR MONEY.