The Senate Appropriations Committee has released a draft spending bill that allocates $324 million for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund in fiscal year 2026, according to an analysis of the legislation by the CDFI Coalition.
The Senate recommendation is $190 million above the White House budget request and nearly $80 million higher than the budget recommendation put forward by the House, according to the coalition. Unlike the other two proposals, the Senate draft would maintain the CDFI Fund’s current funding level, which was $324 million in 2025.
The White House budget request would strip the CDFI Fund’s ability to allocate discretionary awards. It instead proposes $100 million to create a Rural Financial Award Program, with 60% of CFDI loans and investments going to rural communities. The Senate and House proposals set aside no funds for the rural program.
