Disability Rights Watch

Tag: Medicaid

  • Week 24 Updates

    1. Congress passes harrowing budget ushering in police state. 17 Million Americans to lose healthcare. Approx 7.4 million to lose SNAP (food stamps).

      At least 51,000 additional Americans to die otherwise preventable deaths annually.

      Rural and pediatric hospitals, which rely heavily on Medicaid (and the latter also NIH funding) are in danger of closing.

      ACA and private insurance patients will also pay more.

      Related services in schools, like speech and physical therapy, often bill through Medicaid, and are now in danger, especially in conjunction with DoEd cuts.

      The cuts do not kick in until 2026, to protect GOP from midterm election losses. All but two Reps. voted for the bill.

      The cuts do not lower the national debt. They only give a tax cut to the ultra wealthy, and give more money to ICE.
    2. New budget supercharges ICE capacity for kidnappings, concentration camps. The budget takes money from food, healthcare, and education to give to ICE–the masked “agents” who have been detaining immigrants without warrants or due process.

      The $170 billion makes them the biggest law enforcement agency in the country, with a budget larger than many of the world’s militaries.

      The funds come days after the opening of a new Florida detention camp, as Trump and other GOP lawmakers suggest denaturalizing and detaining citizens. Far-right activist Laura Loomer explicitly called for murder (by alligator mauling) of the entire US Latino population.

      More than half of ICE detainees have committed no crimes. Less than 10% have ever been convicted of a violent offense.
    3. Trump admin. illegally withholding $7 billion in education funds. The money, due to K-12 public schools across the country, was already approved by Congress. It was supposed to be distributed on July 1.

      Schools starting in a few weeks have already factored that money into their budgets, so students and families will be seeing immediate effects.

      Before and after school care, programs for English-language learners, and teacher training will be the hardest hit, though schools will likely be forced to cut from other areas to subsidize the missing money.

      The attempt to withhold or cancel the funds is a violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is Congress’s authority to approve and cancel funds.
    4. Action Items. Share this info! Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

      Hit the streets if you are able. It’s past due.

      Boycott businesses supporting these policies. Donate to your local food pantry, library, clinics, cash bail funds, or other mutual aid if you can. Or volunteer your time.

      Join Project Mail Storm by writing and sending paper letters to government.

      Make sure you’re up to date on your vaccines. Ditch the wearable tech.

      Protect your neighbors. Warn and record in the presence of ICE. Push your local officials not to collaborate.

      Consider running for local office or getting involved to support a local candidate through organizing or phone banking–especially progressive primary challengers.

      Think about ways to spread information offline. Make flyers and stickers. Make art.

  • Week 23 Updates

    SCOTUS Decision Day:
    ❌ Limited power of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions, consolidating power under executive branch (limits ability to stop Trump EOs, etc.) Only SCOTUS or class-action suits remain as judicial checks.

    ❌ Opened door to unconstitutional revoking of birthright citizenship. Removal of birthright citizenship in Germany is widely recognized by historians as the country’s transition from democracy to dictatorship in the 1930s.

    ❌ States can restrict Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

    ❌Parents can opt their students out of “exposure” to LGBTQ+ books in public school due to “religious burden” opening door for sweeping book and curriculum bans.

    ❌No DoEd decision. Employees continue to be paid but are not allowed to work.

    ✅ Protected the provision of Obamacare/ACA that keeps preventative care covered by insurance companies at no cost to patients. This includes things like wellness checkups, HIV testing and PrEP, blood pressure medication and other maintenance medications and tests.

    ✅ Upheld the FCC’s Universal Service Fund. The money supports the expansion of telephone and broadband service, especially in rural areas. It also subsidizes internet access at schools, libraries and low-income households.

    2. Senate moves closer to vote on budget bill; McConnell Says of People Losing Medicaid “They’ll Get Over it”. The Senate continues to rework the “big beautiful” budget bill that will gut Medicaid, SNAP and other services to provide tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. They are expected to vote soon.

    A provision preventing Medicaid from paying for trans folks’ healthcare was removed, (good news, though it can still be added back in on the floor).

    Wheelchair-using protesters were again arrested at the capitol protesting Medicaid cuts.

    McConnell urged his colleagues to go through with the vote, acknowledging that constituents were calling in worried about Medicaid, but that “they’ll get over it.”

    3. Beyond Medicaid Patients: Everyone’s Care at Risk Under New Budget. The Center for American Progress estimates the proposed budget bill will increase cost of health insurance for everyone, including those who buy plans on the marketplace or through work. Depending on family size and age, costs could increase from about $1000 to $15,000 annually.

    Since 49% of American children are on Medicaid, Medicaid funds large swaths of pediatric hospitals. Medicaid cuts mean less money and resources for children’s hospitals, and fewer beds for all (including those with private insurance).

    Medicaid also pays for some related services at public schools like Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy. These cuts in addition to DoEd cuts will decimate already underfunded special education programming.

    4. RFK’s new Antivaxx Committee Meets; AAP says they’ll Ignore any changes: The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, recently repopulated by antivaxxers and COVID-deniers, has begun meeting to plan new recommendations for vaccine schedules and availability. This is important because it will affect whether offices and pharmacies receive, and insurance companies will cover, vaccines even if people ask for them.

    The American Association of Pediatrics released a statement that they will continue to recommend the evidence-based childhood vaccine schedule independent of any of RFK’s new recommendations. Advocates hope the AAP’s stance will pressure insurance companies into continuing vaccine coverage.

    5. Deaf Man in ICE Prison for Over 80 Days without due process, interpreter: Family of a Deaf Mongolian man say he has been held in an ICE detention center for over 80 days without access to due process, or anyone who knows Mongolian Sign Language.

    The man, who committed no crime, had entered the country and immediately turned himself in to Border Patrol so he could ask for asylum. He brought with him a written letter detailing the reasons why he feared for his life and return to Mongolia, but agents refused to look at it.

    He was denied the “credible fear screening” used to determine whether one has a case for asylum, and all other due process procedures.

    6. 911 Calls from ICE Detention flood in, but many are ignored.
    A report from WIRED analyzed the content of hundreds of calls from inside ICE centers from both workers and prisoners detailing a variety of horrors, including sexual assault, medical neglect, pregnancy complications, mental health crises, and deaths by suicide.

    People previously detained in ICE centers have spoken of being denied access to medication for chronic health conditions, a situation worsened by overcrowding, understaffing, inadequate staff training and accountability, and a general culture of cruelty surrounding the detentions.

    7. Several states turn over medical data to DHS; RFK proposes more surveillance via wearables. Several states who provide healthcare coverage to noncitizens recently turned over their Medicaid data to the Department of Homeland Security, including California, Washington, Illinois and DC.

    The data surrender is an invasion of privacy and concerning in the hands of RFK’s HHS, who have vowed to create a “registry” of autistic people.

    Advocates are also concerned this will prevent immigrants from seeking healthcare or early intervention services.

    RFK praised health surveillance on Americans, saying he wanted everyone in the country to be using a wearable within four years.

    Action items:
    at to Do: Share this info! Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

    Call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on this dangerous budget. Choose 1 or 2 programs important to you–Medicaid, gender-affirming care, SNAP, IDEA, etc.–and mention them by name.

    Calling is also important if you buy your own health insurance or get it through work. This bill affects your premiums and access to hospitals, too.

    Join Project Mail Storm by writing and sending paper letters to representatives and the White House. Each is required to be opened and logged.

    Make sure you’re up to date on your vaccines. Ditch the wearable tech.

    Protect your neighbors.

    Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, and protest, including offline materials. Make flyers and stickers. Warn (and record) in the presence of ICE. If able march, boycott, donate and/or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.

  • Week 21 Update

    1. Department of Energy leads new attack on Section 504 Over the past several weeks, the Department of Energy has been working to weaken Section 504, a statute that protects disabled people’s right to enter and be accommodated in any spaces that receive federal funding, including government buildings, public schools, hospitals that accept Medicaid, and more.

    The change seeks to allow various entities to decide whether or not they want to include accessibility and accommodations for disabled people based on whether they are “efficient.”
    The language is vague about the breadth of spaces that would be affected or what precedent it would set for 504/ADA enforcement.
    Public comment is open until June 16. Templates are available at the link above.

    2. Hospitals Warn Medicaid Cuts Will Devastate Rural Facilities Republicans continue to work on a budget bill that seeks to cut $785 billion from Medicaid programs across the next decade.
    Rural doctors and hospitals, especially in GOP-leaning populations in the middle of the country, will be disproportionally affected, as those populations tend to rely more heavily on Medicaid programs.

    This, alongside recent private equity takeovers of hospitals to flip them for profit, is creating healthcare deserts, where people may face extremely long wait times and/or travel for hours to reach emergency care.

    3. RFK Jr. Dismisses Entire Sitting Panel of CDC Vaccine Panel
    RFK Jr. dismissed the entirety of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, which previously had 17 members.

    Later in the week he announced 8 people to serve as their replacements. At least two have been very vocal against COVID mitigation measures, like masking, as well as vaccines.
    It is another of RFK’s many attacks on vaccine science since taking power at HHS, coinciding with the large sums of money he receives from antivax lobbyists.

    Healthcare providers and advocates are concerned that changes to vaccine recommendations will affect access, especially since health insurance companies use the panels to make decisions on what they will pay for.

    4. Antivax and Ableist Approaches to Autism Allow Conspiracy Cures to Gain Traction, Poison Children. The platforming of vaccine and autism-focused misinformation, and the removal of some misinformation safeguards by Google/YouTube, has led to an uptick in dangerous health conspiracies and grifts.

    One such group is the “bleach community” who attempts to “cure” autistic children by forcing them to ingest bleach.

    Poisoning children with bleach doesn’t make them less autistic. However, it can cause seizures, internal chemical burns, vomiting blood, and death. Platforming and both sides-ing nonscience has consequences.

    5. ASHA Moves to End DEI and Cultural Competency Certification Standards ASHA announced this week that they seek to strike language like “cultural humility; diversity, equity and inclusion; culturally and linguistically diverse; cultural responsiveness; equity in care”

    They claim funding concerns due to federal mandates, but they are privately funded by member dues

    ASHA is already a contentious organization. For SLPs and Audiologists, forgoing a supposedly “voluntary” membership can affect licensure in some states. Patients have been harmed by a long history of ableism, including shutting out D/HH and signing professionals, and indecision on dXs like CAPD leaving patients without care (due to no billable insurance codes)

    6. Good News: SCOTUS Ruling Makes ADA Complaints Easier in School Settings The unanimous ruling in AJT vs. Osseo Area Schools reifies the ADA is enforceable in public schools, and that students and families do not have to prove “bad faith” or “gross negligence” in order to file a complaint.

    Instead, schools will be held to the same legal standard as in other ADA-related cases: “deliberate indifference.” This is a big win for disability rights advocacy, especially in a time when legal oversight for IDEA, the law governing special education, is nearly eradicated by DoEd layoffs.

    DOJ oversight will be critical for enforcement of this new ruling, concerning as that department has already sought to weaken ADA guidance in recent weeks.

    7. Good News: Florida will Teach Disability History in K-12 Schools A new law in Florida mandates that the first two weeks in October will include curriculum on disability awareness and history.

    How the law will be implemented and the curriculum developed are still in their early stages.

    Some FL advocates have expressed concerns about the vague language of the law, as well as the way it siloes studies of specific disabilities into different grade levels; however, most generally agree it is a good first step in a state that is often hostile toward diversifying curricula.

    8. Hickson vs. St David’s Healthcare Partnership threatens ADA/504 in healthcare settings     Michael Hickson, a 46-year-old disabled Black man died in Texas in June 2020 after contracting Covid and being denied ventilator care and other ICU services. At the time, Texas and 24 other states had policies about rationing care that explicitly discriminated against disabled people. This is one of the things Final Rule updates seek to rectify.

    The case is currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, a conservative court. If they rule in favor of the hospital, it would set a precedent that guts disabled people’s ability to file medical facility-related discrimination claims under the ADA or Section 504.

    Action Items:
    Share this info! Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

    Call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on this dangerous budget. Choose 1 or 2 programs important to you–Medicaid, gender-affirming care, SNAP, IDEA, etc.–and mention them by name.

    Leave a comment with the Dept. Of Energy speaking against their proposed changes to 504 enforcement. Templates available here.

    If your state is involved, ask your Attorney General to withdraw from Texas v. Kennedy. If able, donate to organizations like DREDF, ACLU, and NAD who are fighting various legal challenges, and ADAPT who routinely put their bodies on the line in activist work.

    Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, and protest, including offline materials. Make flyers! Call out misinformation. Warn your neighbors in the presence of ICE. If able march, boycott, donate and/or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.

  • Week 20 Updates

    1. WH loses appeal on Dept of Ed layoffs: A federal district court had previously barred the Department of Education from going through with the layoffs of about half its staff.

    Secretary of the department former WWE exec Linda McMahon testified before Congress that they had done no studies or analysis about how the layoffs would affect students, teachers, or educational infrastructure overall before acting.

    The administration appealed to the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston to lift the injunction, but the appeal was rejected. They can now choose to comply or take the matter before the Supreme Court. The latter would be a lengthy process likely hobbling many programs in the meantime, especially in special education.

    2. UPenn-Yale research estimates 51,000 deaths annually from proposed Medicaid/ACA cuts: The research estimated the passage of Trump’s “big beautiful bill” would result in the following deaths:

    • Ending Medicare Savings Program for subsidized prescriptions– 18,200 annual deaths
    • Removal of Medicaid/care Services nursing home staffing rules–13,000 annual deaths
    • 7.7 million people losing coverage via Medicaid and ACA–11,300 deaths
    • Failure to extend Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits–8,811 deaths

    3. Group of disabled activists, clergy arrested at capitol protesting Medicaid cuts: A group of activists made up of clergy and disabled organizers were arrested in at the Capitol on Tuesday after protesting Medicaid cuts. A group of 26 disabled protesters was previously arrested in May for disrupting hearings.

    An estimated 14 million people would lose coverage under the proposed cuts. For disabled people, Medicaid provides access to healthcare and the ability to live independently or in-community, rather than institutions and nursing homes.

    4. Senator Joni Ernst triples down on eugenic “jokes” about Medicaid: In response to a comment at a town hall from a constituent who was concerned that people will die from proposed Medicaid and SNAP cuts, Senator Ernst of Iowa smirked and said, “well, we’re all going to die.”

    She later made a joke apology video in a cemetery, gaslighting concerned voters by reminding them that technically all humans are mortal, then somewhat inexplicably compared valuing human life to belief in the tooth fairy, followed by a suggestion that people to convert to Christianity.

    Ernst was later seen on Twitter saying that instead of “whining” about Medicaid, folks should “get a multivitamin and a job.”

    5. US Government begins building database on all US residents: Trump signed an order making the combining of data across agencies possible in March,; the NYT reported this week that the tech company Palantir’s AI mechanisms are working on the task.

    Palantir is owned by billionaire Peter Thiel, who in 2009 called women’s right to vote “a blow to democracy,” and in 2023 said, “I no longer believe democracy and freedom are compatible.” He was a also major donor to JD Vance.

    A database compiling detailed files on civilians has disturbing implications for all people, especially activists, immigrants, and disabled people already targeted by RFK’s tracking attempts.

    6. Schools for the deaf and disabled under threat as states brace for proposed DoEd cuts. Bracing for a federal budget that eliminates nearly $300 billion in education funding, some states are taking advantage of their expected freedom under the block grant system and cutting special education budgets.

    Internal sources at deaf schools in NJ, Delaware, Indiana and California have warned of staff and budget cuts for the coming year.

    Missouri’s state budget also proposed the closure of 12 schools for disabled children with high support needs.

    Lack of DoED oversight and block grant distribution allows states to take money from special ed with no consequences.

    7. Hickson vs. St David’s Healthcare Partnership poses threat to ADA/504: Michael Hickson, a 46-year-old disabled Black man died in Texas in June 2020 after contracting Covid and being denied ventilator care and other ICU services. At the time, Texas and 24 other states had policies about rationing care that explicitly discriminated against disabled people. This is one of the things Final Rule updates seek to rectify.

    The case is currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, a conservative court. If they rule in favor of the hospital, it would set a precedent that guts disabled people’s ability to file medical facility-related discrimination claims under the ADA or Section 504.

    Action Items:

    Share this info! Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

    Call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on this dangerous budget. Choose 1 or 2 programs important to you–Medicaid, gender-affirming care, SNAP, IDEA, etc.–and mention them by name.

    Call your state rep. and tell them to include schools for deaf and disabled children in their budgets, especially if you live in CA, DE, NJ, MO, or IN.
    Call your House rep. and tell them to take a stand on government information overreach with Palantir’s project and other “registry” proposals.

    If your state is involved, ask your Attorney General to withdraw from Texas v. Kennedy. If able, donate to organizations like DREDF, ACLU, and NAD who are fighting various legal challenges, and ADAPT who routinely put their bodies on the line in activist work.

    Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, and protest, including offline materials. Make flyers! Call out misinformation. Warn your neighbors in the presence of ICE. If able march, boycott, donate and/or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.

    Bonus Action:

    The Department of Energy is currently rolling back ADA/504 protections by allowing entities to choose whether or not to provide accommodations based on “efficiency”. As written, it’s unclear what kinds of buildings will be affected, but the vague nature of the rollback is also part of the danger. Check out DREDF’s explainer and templates here.

  • Week 18 Updates

    Week 18 Updates

    1. House passes budget bill containing deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, Dept. of Ed. 215 Republican Representatives voted for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” advancing plans to cut Medicaid/care, SNAP, HUD and education funding in order to up DHS spending and extend tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.

      Medicaid: adds work requirements, increases “eligibility checks,” and cuts funds.

      SNAP: Raises age so recipients up to 64 must meet work requirements, cuts funds.

      DoED: cuts funds and shifts them to block grant format. Exact appropriations numbers for DoEd and others are not expected to be available until July (per internal sources).

      The bill heads to the Senate, where it needs 51 votes to pass. Some GOP Senators have said they won’t vote for Medicaid cuts, while others seek even deeper cuts. A failed vote will send the bill back to the House.
    2. Budget bans gender-affirming healthcare for people on Medicaid. As part of the budget bill, the House added a provision banning gender-affirming care for those using Medicaid programs. Originally the ban had only been for minors, but has now been extended to all ages.

      The ban also extends to plans sold on the marketplace under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This is likely to face legal challenges as many states have already prohibited plans from refusing care to trans people.

      Studies estimate that about 1 in 4 trans people rely on Medicaid coverage. Nearly half of trans people also have a disability(1 , 2).
    3. Dept. of Ed updates: On Thursday, a MA judge blocked Trump’s attempt to close DoED, including the executive order to McMahon to facilitate the department’s closure, and the mass firings conducted in March.

      The judge ordered that those employees be reinstated, and underscored that closing DoEd would require an act of Congress. The administration has already filed an appeal.

      This is good news, but the budget bill still contains massive funding cuts, shifting remaining dollars to voucher programs and block grants that have no enforcement mechanisms. States can use funds previously for specific programs like IDEA for whatever they want, leaving students with IEP/504s at the whim of districts. If IEPS are not followed, its unknown who, if anyone, families can turn to for support.
    4. MAHA commission report skews focus, targets vaccines. RFK Jr’s MAHA commission released a report on what it called the childhood “chronic disease crisis” in the US, identifying poor diet, environmental chemicals, chronic stress, lack of physical activity, and “overmedicalization” as driving causes. The report also questions vaccine safety.

      The report does not address socio-economic factors that may contribute to children’s health, like poverty, or firearm or motor vehicle related deaths. Injury-related deaths account for 60% of deaths for children under 18.

      The commission is supposed to present a strategy for addressing childhood disease in August. However critics say budget and personnel cuts at HHS undermine the commission’s ability to meaningfully implement a plan, or even track data.
    5. FDA Seeks to restrict access to covid vaccines: The FDA announced a plan to limit access to COVID boosters, reversing previous policy. If implemented, COVID vaccines would be restricted to people over 65 or with underlying health conditions only.

      The FDA said manufacturers of COVID boosters seeking broader distribution to younger people would need to fund and conduct placebo-controlled trials, a lengthy process that would render each version of the vaccine useless given the rate of mutation.

      Considering RFK Jr’s profitable ties to antivax organizations, many see this as the first step in limiting overall access to vaccines.
    6. Texas vs Kennedy updates: Thanks in large part to disabled organizers, Count 3 of the original filing, (formerly Texas v. Becerra) “Section 504 is Unconstitutional” has been withdrawn. This is great news!

      BUT, the lawsuit continues to attack Final Rule, important updates to 504 guidance re: 21st century technology (telehealth, websites), pandemic-era healthcare (ventilator rationing), and protecting disabled people’s rights to live in community instead of being forced into institutions.

      Kennedy issued a “clarification” weeks ago noting mention of gender dysphoria in the preamble is not an enforceable part of the law, so the transphobic framing against Final Rule is now moot.
    7. Hicks vs St David’s Healthcare Partnership poses threat to ADA/504. Michael Hickson, a 46-year-old disabled Black man died in Texas in June 2020 after contracting Covid and being denied ventilator care and other ICU services. At the time, Texas and 24 other states had policies about rationing care that explicitly discriminated against disabled people. This is one of the things Final Rule updates seek to rectify.

      The case is currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, a conservative court. If they rule in favor of the hospital, it would set a precedent that guts disabled people’s ability to file medical facility-related discrimination claims under the ADA or Section 504.

      Action:
      Share this info! Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

      Call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on this dangerous budget. Choose 1 or 2 programs important to you–Medicaid, gender-affirming care, SNAP, IDEA, etc.–and mention them by name.

      Leave a public comment with DoED saying no to funding cuts and block grants. They are required to read and log them!

      If your state is involved, ask your Attorney General to withdraw from Texas v. Kennedy. If able, donate to organizations like DREDF, ACLU, and NAD who are fighting various legal battles.

      Contact medical providers requesting they do not share yours or your child’s autism diagnosis or records with the government registry. Letter template available here.

      Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, and protest, including offline materials. Make flyers! Call out misinformation. Warn your neighbors in the presence of ICE. If able march, boycott, donate and/or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.
  • Week 15 Update

    Week 15 Update

    1. White House releases harrowing budget requests. On Friday, the White House released their budget request to Congress. The 46 pg document seeks massive cuts for almost all social and educational programs domestically and internationally, cuts totaling $163 billion.

    Departments of Defense and Homeland Security are two of the handful of that see increased spending in order to better fund police militarization and the deportation of immigrants and kidnapping of US citizens by ICE.

    This week’s post will examine some key budget asks affecting the disability community. This is not a complete list, but a link to the full document is available here. Items 1-4 on this post are pulled directly from that spreadsheet. It’s important to note that these are *nonbinding requests* from the President. It will be up to Congress to write and pass specific legislation. Call them.

    2. WH Budget Requests: Dept. of Education
    $60 million increase in funding for charter schools

    $4.5 billion in cuts for K-12 education / Title I programming for underfunded schools

    $49 million in cuts for DoED’s Office of Civil Rights

    A vague category of “Special Education” is listed to “remain at 2025 levels. it mentions IDEA by name, but it’s unclear to what extent programs and sub-departments will be included. The explanation also appears to employ Project 2025’s block grant distribution, meaning it’s suggested the money be used for special ed, but with limited oversight.

    Many other DoED programs receive explicit cuts. There is no mention of special institutions, like Gallaudet, NTID, Printing House for the Blind, etc. in the document.

    3. WH Budget Request, HHS
    $500 million increase to “MAHA” a slush fund for RFK Jr’s antivax and “overreliance on medication” initiatives

    $4 billion in cuts to LIHEAP the program that provides heat and AC assistance for low-income families.

    $1.9 billion in cuts for services for refugee and unaccompanied minors

    $315 million cuts to Preschool Development Grants

    $1.7 billion cuts to HRSA, $3. 5 billion cuts to the CDC
    $17.9 billion cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    $1 billion cuts to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

    $180 million in cuts to STI and teen pregnancy prevention programs

    $674 billion in cuts to Medicaid and Medicare Service

    4. WH Budget Request, HUD:
    $26 billion cut from rental assistance state block grants, money sent to states to support rental housing for the elderly, disabled, and those aging out of foster care.

    $479 million in cuts from Native American and Hawaiian housing block grants

    $532 million cut from Homeless Assistance Program

    $296 million cut from Surplus Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Funding

    Additional cuts to other self-sufficiency, fair housing, and community grant programs

    5. WH Budget Requests, our liberation is intertwined: Deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Parks System, the Department of the Interior (including significant reductions in funding for Native American reservation-based social services and education), aid-based programming within the DHS, FEMA and other disaster-relief funding, Department of Labor job skills programs, funding for libraries, HBCUs, PBS and NPR, programs to combat misinformation, and more have all been explicitly named and targeted for cuts at the President’s request.
    These cuts will hurt everyone, and particularly those living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities.

    7. Gallaudet suspends enrollment of several majors as budget cuts loom. A list from Provost Rashid said admissions to the following programs will be suspended:
    Secondary Education programs, including the BA and MA in Secondary Education in Biology, Chemistry, English, General Sciences, Mathematics, and Social Studies, Undergraduate Teacher Preparation, Programs in Early Childhood and Elementary Education

    The announcement comes as deaf studies and education programs shutter at universities across the country.

    GU leadership continues to be nontransparent about the future of the university without its DoED Liaison, who previously disbursed funding and advocated on behalf of deaf education. The University has gone so far as to say that the liaison has been reinstated, which is untrue.

    The only liberal arts university for the deaf in the world faces an uncertain future without mention in Trump’s budget request (yes, that would be illegal).

    8. Texas v Beccera lawsuit continues
    Despite recent “clarifications” from HHS about the how mention of gender dysphoria in Final Rule’s preamble is not legally binding, involved parties have not revoked their original filing, which explicitly asks for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42).

    504 protects disabled people’s rights in all spaces that receive federal funding, and would have major implications in conjunction with rescinding of ADA guidance, the uncertain future of DoEd, and a separate suit going before SCOTUS next week.

    A stay has been issued, and parties are now required to update every other month, with the next due June 21st.

    9. RFK makes wild vaccine claims on air as HHS floats dangerous clinical trials.
    Speaking live on News Nation Wednesday, RFK Jr. repeatedly claimed the MMR vaccine contains “aborted fetus debris.”

    IT SUPER DOESN’T! The MMR vaccine, like most vaccines, was cultured within (sterile) fetal cells, one of two lines from the 1960s. It does not contain fetal cells or human DNA because the virus kills the cell. The vaccine virus is also purified before it is made into a replicable vaccine.

    HHS also said they want to conduct placebo trials on existing vaccines, raising ethical concerns with public health experts. Not giving available effective and thoroughly-tested vaccines to trial participants and infecting them with, and allowing them to die from preventable disease is cruel, and in violation of the Hippocratic Oath.

    10. HHS releases harmful anti-trans report, highlights willingness to distribute misinformation. On Thursday, HHS released a “report” seeking to disparage gender-affirming care for trans youth, care that is already known to be safe and effective as backed by decades of peer-reviewed research.

    The report’s authors are anonymous, and it is not peer-reviewed. No trans people are consulted in the report, though anti-trans extremists are cited.

    Every human deserves access to healthcare. The disability community stands with trans youth.

    Multiple studies also estimate that 27-50% of trans people are disabled, too. (1, 2, 3)

    The report also demonstrates a willingness to publish blatant disinformation to support the administration’s various eugenic vendettas. This won’t be the last.

    Take Action:

    What to do: Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

    Call your Representative and tell them not to accept the White House’s requested budget cuts. Choose 1 or 2 programs important to you personally and mention them by name when you call.

    Call your Senator and tell them to take meaningful action against illegal deportations and ideological-based arrests.

    Contact the Gallaudet Board of Trustees and urge transparency in communication with the community, and action to protect the university.

    If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to withdraw from Texas v. Beccera. Tell them you stand in solidarity with disabled people, and trans folks.

    Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, and protest, including offline materials. Make flyers! Call out misinformation. Warn your neighbors in the presence of ICE. If able march, boycott, donate and/or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.

  • Week 12 Update

    Week 12 Update

    1. House passes budget framework, paving the way for deep social cuts. The House passed the budget framework that paves the way for Trump’s desired budget, including trillions in tax cuts for rich people, increased defense spending, increased spending autonomy for the President, weakening social security, and an estimated $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid.
      The House and Senate must now work to turn their resolutions into actual legislative text, which will reveal the minute breakdown of their spending plan and cuts. This is typically a months-long process.
    2. Markets roil as Trump plays with global tariffs, threatens more. Trump issued tariffs on multiple countries in a questionably legal process this week, promptly tanking the global market. He paused some of the tariffs for 90 days due to instability, but kept a tax at over 100% on goods from China, who also levied their own tariffs. (Update: as of noon on 4/12, Trump also paused tariffs on electronics like smartphones and computers.)

      Tariff costs are passed down to the buyer, meaning further hikes in a market where food and basics prices are already soaring. This will be a hardship for all Americans, but especially those already struggling with food insecurity, and/or those on a fixed income.

      Trump also announced tariffs on pharmaceutical imports to be implemented “shortly,” with no details yet on which medications will be affected. Medical device and equipment prices are already expected to rise due to current tariffs.
    3. HHS fallout reveals more disability-centric programs lost. Massive cuts at the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities last week left advocates reeling. Now the cuts are coming clear:

      EHDI programming for universal newborn hearing screenings has been eliminated. States have received some funding in 2025, but may not receive the rest.

      The CDC partnership with the Special Olympics has also been eliminated. Trump and DeVos first tried to defund the program in 2017. (4/12, clarifying note: The Special Olympics funding and oversight primarily came from OSERS in the Dept of Ed, but those employees were also laid off in earlier an earlier RIF).

      A department dedicated to sickle cell research is gone.

      The team for national data collection on adults with cognitive disabilities is gone, just before a key report about the rise in cognitive disability in young people was to be released. Some say it’s being blocked so RFK can bury evidence contradicting his own team’s theories about “autism’s origins,” which he’s promised to “reveal” by September.
    4. White House Press Secretary says the administration is seeking a “legal” pathway for deporting US citizens. White House press secretary Leavitt mentioned this week that the administration was looking into whether there is a legal pathway to deport US citizens. (There’s not!)

      Leavitt said the move would only be exercised on “criminals” who commit “heinous” crimes. However, that the DOJ has already been stripping students of their visas for protests and other thought crimes, and 75% of the immigrants who were illegally deported to El Salvador have no criminal record suggest they will continue to use their power for show against anyone they want.

      Legal scholars and historians fear the move will be used to strip the citizenship and/or detain anyone “undesirable,” a frightening a echo from 1930s Germany’s stripping of citizenship from Jewish people and others, the 1940s US internment of Japanese people, and other war crimes.
    5. House passes “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act” (SAVE Act). The proposed law, which will require people to present proof of citizenship in-person in order to register to vote, passed the House this week, including votes from for Democratic representatives.

      One major concern is that women who changed their name due to marriage won’t be able to use their birth certificates for proof of citizenship, since their surnames no longer match. An amendment was suggested to remedy this, but it was denied.

      People with any name different than what’s issued on their birth certificate will need a passport to register, and everyone will need to present this proof in-person. 50% of Americans have no passport.

      SAVE would place undue hardship and expense, and restrict the right to vote of the elderly, disabled, women and trans folks, those living rurally and more.

      The bill is likely to be voted down in the Senate, but it is still worth calling about.
    6. DOGE accesses Social Security database, falsely begins declaring some recipients “dead” to stop payments. DOGE has shown their inability to understand basic information stored within the SSA’s database over the past months, in part because it is written in an archaic coding language. Previously DOGE said they would rewrite the code, but that is a long-term project.

      In the interim, DOGE has declared some people dead as a way of removing them from the payment system. This has largely attacked immigrants, but some US citizens were also placed into the “death master file.”

      Beyond stopping social security payments, falsely declaring someone dead will have massive implications on their ability to move through the world, may cut access to their credit cards and more. SSA employees who tried to stop DOGE were ejected from the building.
    7. Texas v. Becerra lawsuit continues. Attorneys General continue to use transphobic rhetoric to attack Final Rule and Section 504.

      Participants continue to say they do not want to dismantle disabled people’s rights, but have not revoked the original filing, which explicitly asks for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42).

      504 protects disabled people’s rights in all spaces that receive federal funding, but could have major implications in conjunction with rescinding of ADA guidance, and the uncertain future of DoEd. The next update is due in the coming days.
    8. Do not comply in advance (good news). Due to pending legal action over McMahon’s DoEd issued directive to withhold funding from schools pending receipt of their anti-DEI loyalty pledge, a judge ordered that schools do not need to sign any certifications until at least April 24, after the legality of the pledge is assessed.

      Previously, the directive required school leadership to sign within 10 days.

      So far NY, MA, PA, MI, WI, IL, MN, CO, OR, and WA officials have declined to sign, while other states have declared their intent to sign or are still in review. (full map of states’ declared intent)

      Action:
      Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

      Call your Representative and tell them to intervene on behalf of the Dept of Education, SSA and HHS regarding illegal layoffs.

      Call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on SAVE and any budget cuts to Medicaid.

      Contact your school board and state’s education officials, and tell them not to comply with McMahon’s baseless anti-DEI directive.

      If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to withdraw from Texas v. Beccera. Tell them you stand in solidarity with disabled people, and trans folks.

      Consider how to move toward creative acts of mutual aid, local protest and growing awareness, including offline materials. Make flyers! Warn your neighbors in the presence of ICE. If able, donate or volunteer with your local food pantry or library.

  • Week 8 Update

    Week 8 Update

    1. Hundreds of Illegal Layoffs at the Department of Education. DoED laid off over 1300 employees Tuesday night, nearly half the department. Secretary McMahon made a statement that layoffs would not affect special ed, nor any legally-mandated positions, but that was a lie.

      Layoffs were conducted without review via a generic, “Dear colleague” letter, including eliminating workers in mandated positions that are not allowed to be vacant by law. Many workers who were supposed to continue on until the end of the month or longer cannot consistently access their emails and computers due to DOGE control.

      The layoffs spanned a variety of departments, cutting large swaths of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) was also impacted.

      The entire office providing funding for Gallaudet, NTID, the American Printing House for the Blind, Helen Keller National Center, and other special institutions has been laid off.

      There is also currently no director at the head of OSEP, the office overseeing IDEA. McMahon sparked anger in an interview after the layoffs, in which she revealed she did not know what “IDEA” stands for.
    2. Regional DoEd Offices Shuttered. In addition to the layoffs, seven regional Department of Education offices have also been closed down: Cleveland, Boston, New York, Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia.

      Among many impacts, this will further delay already long wait times for students and families dealing with discrimination complaints.
    3. DOGE Continues to infiltrate Social Security Administration (SSA). The DOGE team continues to grow at SSA, in what journalists believe to be the largest presence at any agency. Musk and friends have alleged “mass fraud” at the agency, but have not produced any evidence of the claim.

      DOGE is currently considering cancelling benefits for nearly 200,000 people who receive social security benefits without a SSN; however the majority of those are disabled children whose benefits are redirected to a “designated payee” in their parent or guardian.
    4. DOGE takes aim at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Under Musk, DOGE targeted HUD for layoffs of around half of the department, which oversees housing vouchers, rental assistance, public housing and a variety of anti-homelessness initiatives, including rebuild grants for communities after disaster.

      HUD also oversees fair housing laws and fields discrimination complaints.

      At least 50% of the US’s unhoused population is disabled.
    5. Senate Finance Committee holds hearing for Dr. Mehmet Oz. TV personality “Doctor Oz” was tapped to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, and began his hearing Friday.

      He is poised to oversee Medicaid, Medicare, and administrative duties related to the Affordable Care Act as Republicans vow to make deep cuts to the former two programs. Oz sidestepped questions about whether he would protect Medicaid from cuts during Friday’s hearing.
    6. Senate passes a Continuing Resolution for the GOP’s budget bill. Republicans, with the help of 10 Democrats, voted to pass a continuing resolution that avoids a government shutdown until September.

      A coalition of anti-Trump organizers, including the federal workers union, had rallied to encourage Democrats to vote NO, in an effort to bring Republicans to the negotiating table and include language to reign in DOGE’s unfettered slashing of federal programs and employment. Instead, a small group of Democrats helped push the bill through.

      Now that Democrats have ceded their leverage it will be difficult to stop further implementation of Project 2025 or DOGE cuts, beyond lawsuits after the fact.
    7. Texas vs. Beccera lawsuit continues. Attorneys General continue to use transphobic rhetoric to attack Final Rule and Section 504.

      Participants continue to say they do not want to dismantle disabled people’s rights, but have not revoked the original filing, which explicitly asks for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42).

      504 protects disabled people’s rights in all spaces that receive federal funding, but could have major implications for those needing interpreters in hospitals in light of the new English EO.
      The next update is due in April.
    8. Good News… 21 Attorneys General have banded together to sue the administration regarding the illegal firings of Department of Education employees. This comes alongside previously established suits and union actions already in-play for other firings and freezings across the federal workforce.

      A judge also ordered Thursday that probationary employees across multiple agencies who were laid off should be reinstated.

    Action Items:
    Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.

    • Call your Representative and tell them to intervene on behalf of the Dept. of Education.
    • Call the Senate Finance Committee members and tell them to vote NO on Dr. Oz.
    • If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to withdraw from Texas v. Beccera. Tell them you stand in solidarity with disabled people, and trans folks.
    • Consider how you can pivot to creative and local acts of resistance now that elected officials have ceded negotiating power. Here are some ideas.


  • Call Scripts for 13 March Regarding Budget Resolution and Illegal DoED Layoffs

    Call Scripts for 13 March Regarding Budget Resolution and Illegal DoED Layoffs

    Script for Calling Your Senator (*Time Sensitive*–they must vote by Friday, 314)

    Find your Senator’s phone number here

    Hello Senator [last name],

    My Name is [full name] and I’m a constituent calling from zip code [your zip code] to ask you to vote NO on the budget bill until there are firm guardrails in place that take financial control from DOGE and return it to Congress, as stipulated by the Constitution.

    The executive overreach of freezing Congressionally-approved spending and firing federal workers is illegal and dangerous.

    I understand concerns about the impacts of a temporary government shutdown, but the government is not currently functioning by the rule of law. Giving Republicans free reign to gut Medicaid and SNAP will harm even more Americans. Please use this moment of leverage to stand with the American people and the Constitution, and vote NO unless enforceable protections are implemented. Thank you.

    Script for Calling Your House Representative

    Click to find your Representative

    Hello Representative [last name],

    My Name is [full name] and I’m a constituent calling from zip code [your zip code] to ask you to stop the Trump administration from harming students and families by dismantling the Department of Education. By closing key offices and conducting illegal layoffs, Trump and DOGE are trying to bypass Congress to gut the department.

    [Personal statement here] Ex: In particular, I’m a [parent / student / teacher / community member], concerned about about the impact that these cuts will have on students with disabilities, including funding and oversight for programs like [IDEA, 504, Gallaudet, American Printing House for the Blind, Helen Keller National Center, Special Olympics. If applicable, restate importance of program to you or your family.]

    This is an overreach by the executive branch. Please act to protect the students and the federal workers who serve them. Thank you.

  • Week 5 Update

    Week 5 Update

    1. Linda McMahon’s DoED Nomination Advances
      • The HELP Committee voted along party lines, advancing Linda McMahon to the full Senate for her confirmation as Secretary of DoED.
      • Trump has promised major cuts to the department via Executive Order once McMahon is in place.
      • Three active bills to abolish the department are also currently in Congress.
      • DoED funds and oversees a variety of disability-specific programs and grants, and protects disabled students rights to attend public schools. Read our full explainer on DoED here.
    2. Funding Cuts for DoED Now at $502 Million and Counting
    3. Mass Layoffs Hit Disabled Veterans Hard
    4. Texas vs. Beccera Lawsuit on Hold; AGs Refuse to Come Clean about Scope of the Complaint
      • On Wednesday, involved parties wrote to the judge asking for more time to evaluate their case, and claiming they did not seek to declare Section 504 unconstitutional.
      • The letter still takes aim at Final Rule’s spending guidance for independent living, which could affect disabled people’s rights to live in-community. They also continue to use transphobic rhetoric to attack Final Rule.
      • Despite reassurances, the original filing does explicitly ask for 504 to be declared unconstitutional (p 37-42). We also should not make concessions on basic rights for any humans. See all our Texas v. Beccera resources here.
    5. House Budget Takes Aim at Medicaid, SNAP
      • The House presented a budget bill that would require $880 billion in cuts from the Energy and Commerce Committee, who oversees Medicaid. Medicaid provides healthcare for 70 million disabled and low-income Americans,
      • On Wednesday, Trump endorsed the bill, after previously saying he wouldn’t touch the program.
      • SNAP, the program that provides financial assistance specifically for buying food, is also under threat.
    6. Executive Order “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies”
      • Consolidates power under the President by taking it away from independent agencies. Says the President has the final say, including budgetary, over all parts of the Executive branch.
      • From a disability perspective, the future of the Federal Communications Commission is of concern. The FCC currently oversees and disburses funds for things like closed captions, captioned phone calls and text and video relay.
      • This move is a key tenet of Project 2025. Expanding the powers of the President and weakening checks and balances is dangerous for the health of any democracy.
    7. Threats to Special Education at the State Level
      • Indiana HB 1136 appoints state governing boards over local community boards, and targets schools for charter conversion, which could harm disabled students’ services and weaken IEP oversight.
      • Alabama State HB197 seeks to “investigate” and fine parents who file complaints under IDEA’s due process procedures, and makes it harder to recover legal fees if a family wins their case.
      • See our friends at Fighting for My Voice for a state-level education policy tracker
    8. Some Good News
      • After feedback from advocates, Indiana’s SB473 was revised to include ASL and all language options for deaf children’s early intervention programming. Previously the bill protected spoken language only.
      • Connecticut’s State Legislature is expected to approve $40 million in additional funds for special education in a vote next week

    Take Action

    • Share this info. Disability is often lost in mainstream coverage.
    • Call your Senator and ask them to vote NO on the McMahon nomination and protect DoED.
    • If your state is involved, contact your Attorney General and ask them to drop out of Texas v. Beccera. Tell them you stand in solidarity with all disabled people, as well as trans folks. If your state isn’t involved, you can still call and ask them to protect Section 504.
    • Write/call your Congresspeople and tell them to fight for Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and Social Security. Entitlements are taxpayer money!
    • Keep an eye on your state legislatures and make sure they are not complying in advance!

    #ProtectADA for community sharing, news, letter templates and more