1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent of North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District to urge you to vote “no” on the proposed FY 2026 federal budget bill. While I appreciate the hard work that goes into drafting a comprehensive spending plan, this bill in its current form raises several concerns: 1. Insufficient environmental investment. Western North Carolina’s economy and public health depend on clean air, healthy forests, and resilient waterways. The bill’s cuts to EPA climate‑resilience programs and the Land and Water Conservation Fund would undermine ongoing local initiatives to protect the French Broad River watershed and Pisgah National Forest. 2. Reduced support for small businesses and nonprofits. Asheville’s vibrant creative sector and growing reuse economy (including organizations like my own, Remix It) rely on Community Development Financial Institutions and SBA Microloan programs. The proposed 18 percent reduction to these programs threatens local job growth and undermines efforts to build a circular, low‑waste economy. 3. Elimination of key nutrition assistance. Slashing WIC funding at a time when grocery prices remain high would place additional strain on families across Buncombe and surrounding counties. Healthy children are the foundation of a healthy workforce; cuts here are counter‑productive and penny‑wise‑pound‑foolish. 4. No bipartisan pathway on deficit reduction. True fiscal responsibility pairs targeted savings with smart revenue reforms. Instead, the bill delivers sweeping cuts without addressing tax‑expenditure loopholes that disproportionately benefit large corporations and the ultra‑wealthy. Western North Carolina deserves a budget that protects our mountains and rivers, supports local entrepreneurship, safeguards vulnerable families, and takes a balanced, bipartisan approach to the deficit. I respectfully ask you to oppose the current bill and work toward a revised package that meets these goals.