On March 11, 2025, President Trump released his budget proposal, calling for a 22.6% cut in domestic discretionary spending, a staggering $163 billion reduction. While Congress holds the ultimate authority to pass a final budget, this proposal signals deep potential consequences for the very programs that empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently in their homes and communities.
Why This Matters for LIFTT and Our Community
Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) is a federally recognized Center for Independent Living. Like other CILs across the nation, we rely on a mix of federal funding through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and other discretionary grants to deliver core services. In LIFTT’s case, these services include Personal Care Assistance (PCA), Independent Living services, Advocacy, Home Modifications, Housing and Transportation Assistance, Vocational rehabilitation and Pre-ETS services, Diabetes prevention and health promotion, Peer mentorship and community reintegration.
If the proposed cuts were enacted, the consequences would be serious, as follows:
- Reductions in staffing and services at LIFTT and CILs across the country, meaning fewer people served, fewer home visits, and fewer supports.
- Elimination or contraction of rural transportation programs that are often the only accessible option for those living in isolated areas.
- Delays or denials in critical Medicaid-funded services, especially for people with complex needs who depend on long-term care supports.
- Erosion of independent living options, resulting in greater institutionalization and fewer choices for older adults and disabled people.
- Disruption to health, safety, employment, and education for thousands of Americans who rely on these programs not only to survive, but to thrive.
This is not just about budgets. It’s about people.
LIFTT’s mission is rooted in the belief that every person deserves dignity, choice, and autonomy. We are deeply concerned that this proposed budget undermines that vision. That said, this is not the final word. The President’s budget is only a proposal — Congress has the power to decide what gets funded.
Now is the time to make our voices heard.
We call on our partners, community members, and allies to speak out in support of the Independent Living Movement. Share your story. Contact your representatives. Help ensure that vital services continue for our most vulnerable neighbors. You can start by going to congress.gov/find-your-member and entering your address into the search prompt. You will receive contact information for the representative for your district and the senators from your state.
At LIFTT, we are planning, advocating, and working collaboratively with partners across the state and nation to protect the programs that matter most. We will not stop fighting for the people we serve. Together, we can defend the future of the Independent Living Movement.
Carlos A. Ramalho, Executive Director, Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT)
About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.