June 20, 2025 | Vol. MMXXV | Issue 117

President's Budget

Last week, we wrote about how the President’s budget proposes eliminating the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) and combining their work with Projects of National Significance (PNS), the Limb Loss Resource Center, the Paralysis Resource Center, and the Voting Access for People with Disabilities Program, collapsing them into one single funding stream under the Independent Living (IL) program.

Action Item - Use AUCD’s new messaging guide to contact Members of Congress and state elected officials. It is important that we advocate on behalf of the UCEDDs and educate policymakers about the vital work they do.

Plain Language

Last week, we shared that the Administration wants to get rid of UCEDDs. The Administration wants to combine the work of the UCEDDs with the work of a few other disability programs to make the Independent Living Program do that work. It is now up to Congress to decide how much money is given to important programs like UCEDDs.

Action Item – Use the resources in the new AUCD messaging guide to contact Members of Congress and their staff to educate them about the important work UCEDDs do.

Reconciliation

This week, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, released the legislative text for the Senate’s version of the reconciliation bill. It proposes health care changes similar to the House’s version, but makes even deeper Medicaid cuts. The bill would lower the provider tax threshold from 6% to 3.5% in Medicaid expansion states for all providers except nursing homes and intermediate care facilities. Read more in this summary about Medicaid provisions in reconciliation from KFF.

Most states help finance their Medicaid costs by collecting taxes from health care providers. Those amounts are returned to providers in the form of higher Medicaid payments from the federal government. Last month, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that limiting or eliminating these provider taxes based on the House’s reconciliation bill would leave 3.9 million people without coverage. Learn more about provider taxes here.

There are a few Republicans—including Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Susan Collins (R-ME)—who are concerned about these provisions because they would take health care away from people who need it. Other Republicans—including Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Rand Paul (R-KY)—think that this legislation doesn’t cut enough, and want to slash even more spending.

Key Takeaways

Senate Republican leadership is aiming to take up the bill next week. Congressional Republicans and Administration officials had declared July 4 to be the deadline to get the reconciliation bill to the President’s desk; now, some are publicly saying that a July 4 deadline is not feasible. These small delays represent the discord that has ebbed and flowed since the beginning of the reconciliation process, and are a positive sign that the group pushing for passage is facing roadblocks. Because of pushback from people with disabilities, older adults, healthcare providers, and many more advocates, Congressional Republicans are feeling pressure to limit their proposals to cut Medicaid. We have helped to slow down this process, and we need to keep our efforts up.

If this bill passes, it would be disastrous for people with disabilities and their families, older adults, and rural communities. There are Republican Senators who are not fully sold on the Medicaid cuts and are expressing concern about how they might negatively impact rural communities, people with disabilities, families, hospitals, and more. There are also Republican Senators who have been vocal about how this reconciliation bill would not impact people with disabilities—it is important that they hear from the disability community that they are not correct in that assertion. If the House’s bill passes, states will have to change how they finance their programs and they will reduce benefits. Folks must continue to let their Members of Congress know how painful, misguided, and cruel any cuts to Medicaid would be.

Read Answers to FAQ on Medicaid and Budget Reconciliation Proposals from the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) and the Disability and Aging Collaborative here. 

Read Top 10 Reasons Why House Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill is Bad for Medicaid (and the ACA) from the National Health Law Program here.

Action Item - Call your Senators and educate them on the importance of Medicaid for people with disabilities and their families and caregivers--you can use AUCD’s Medicaid fact sheet and talking points. Reach your Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Plain Language

Congress is in the middle of a long process of passing bills that affect how the government spends money, which is called reconciliation. Reconciliation is sometimes a long and complicated process. This is because you don’t need as many lawmakers to vote ‘yes.’ It is usually used when lawmakers in one political party (either Democrat or Republican) want to pass bills they know the other political party wouldn’t like very much. They can do this when there is the same political party in charge of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency.

This week, the Senate shared their version of the bill. Just like House Republicans, Senate Republicans are trying to cut Medicaid. In the Senate’s bill, one change would lower the amount of money the federal government gives some states when they spend a high amount on Medicaid. This would take Medicaid away from millions of people and even make it harder for people to get health insurance in other ways. Senate Republicans want to spend less money on Medicaid so that the government can spend more money on immigration police and helping some rich people spend less on their taxes. We do not think this is fair.

Because many people with disabilities, older adults, and advocates are speaking out, Republicans in Congress are having a hard time moving this process forward. We can make a difference if we keep speaking out.

Action Item - Right now, people should let their Senators know how important Medicaid is for people with disabilities and their families. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and talk about how Medicaid helps people get home and community-based services, employment support, and more. If you have a personal story, it is really helpful to share! Here is some more information about Medicaid in plain language.

Court Cases

• The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of a Minnesota teenager with epilepsy whose parents had brought a case (A.J.T v. Osseo Area Schools) against her school district for failing to accommodate her disability. The school district had declined to provide the student with a full day of school beginning at noon. While a lower court had ruled that the school district was in violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it dismissed the discrimination claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act, saying a higher standard of proof was needed. The family appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the ADA and Rehabilitation Act claims based on educational services should be subject to the same standards that apply in other disability discrimination contexts.
  
  

• The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed a lawsuit to compel the White House to resume providing American Sign language (ASL) interpreters during broadcasts of their press briefings. They allege that, by not having ASL interpreters during public briefings, the White House is violating Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which mandates meaningful access to all White House communications for people with disabilities. The complaint also says that the White House is violating “First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which mandates freedom of exchange of information.”

Key Takeaways

Advocates have said that the ruling in A.J.T v. Osseo Area Schools was a win for people with disabilities, especially students with disabilities, emphasizing that disability discrimination claims at schools should not be held to a higher standard than claims made in other areas of public life, like workplaces or housing.

In September 2020, NAD won a court ruling that ordered the White House to provide interpreters for all coronavirus-related briefings, which resulted in the White House implementing a policy to provide ASL interpreters for all press briefings conducted by the President, Vice President, First Lady, Second Gentleman, or the White House Press Secretary.  This practice ended in January 2025, when the second Trump Administration began. This Administration has made an effort through Executive Orders and other federal processes to eliminate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs and activities from the federal government, oftentimes taking actions that are explicitly against existing civil rights law. You can read the National Association of the Deaf’s press release here.

Plain Language

• In A.J.T v. Osseo Area Schools, the Supreme Court ruled that schools should follow the same rules for disability discrimination as in other areas like workplaces or housing. This is a big win for students with disabilities.
  
  

• The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is suing the White House to bring back American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters during public press events. They say this violates important disability rights laws—like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act—by preventing people with disabilities from accessing information from the White House. In 2020, the NAD won a court case that made sure the White House had ASL interpreters at all press events. The current Trump Administration stopped this. The Trump Administration has been removing programs that help inclusion and accessibility.

New Legislation

• The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act (S. 2076) (H.R. 4029)

  • Introduced by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI)

  • Would provide dedicated Medicaid funds for home and community-based services (HCBS) for older adults, children, youth, and adults with disabilities for two years

  • You can read Senator Luján's press release here.
    
    

• The Respond, Innovate, Support, and Empower (RISE) Act (H.R. 3939)

  • Introduced by Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)

  • Would streamline the transition from high school to college for students with disabilities and improve access to support services

  • You can read Representative Bonamici’s press release here.
    
    

• The Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act (S. 2084)

  • Introduced by Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD)

  • Would establish coverage of dental and oral health services, vision services, and hearing services under the Medicare and Medicaid programs

  • You can read Senator Alsobrooks’ press release here.
    
    

• The Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act (S. 2057) (H.R. 3947)

  • Introduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

  • Would simplify the process of enrolling in health coverage by offering Americans the option to do so on their federal income tax returns

  • You can read Senator Van Hollen’s press release here.
    
    

• The Preventing Halting of Active Research Act (H.R. 4007)

  • Introduced by Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)

  • Would unfreeze and release funding for National Institutes of Health (NIH) contracts, prohibit termination of active research grants funding by the NIH, and reform termination clauses in grant contracts of the NIH

  • You can read Representative Watson Coleman’s press release here.

Plain Language

There are a few new bills in Congress:

• The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act would help more people with disabilities get home and community services for two years.
  
  

• The Respond, Innovate, Support, and Empower (RISE) Act would give students with disabilities more support services and help them go from high school to college.
  
  

• The Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act would make sure Medicare and Medicaid programs pay for dental, vision, and hearing care.
  
  

• The Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act would let people sign up for health insurance when they file their tax paperwork.
  
  

• The Preventing Halting of Active Research Act would restart funding for research projects, stop the National Institutes of Health from taking away money for projects, and make it harder to cancel funding for research in the future.

AUCD Story Collection

AUCD is collecting stories from the Network on a variety of topics to amplify the effects of this Administration on real people and our programs. If you have a story, we want to hear it. 

We are interested in stories about: 

• Medicaid and its impact on people's lives 

• The impact of dismantling ACL 

• The important work of UCEDDs, LENDs, IDDRCs, PNS’s, DD Councils, P&As

• The impact of zeroing out UCEDDs, LENDs, IDDRCs, PNS’s, DD Councils, P&As  

• Impact of grants that are being cut 

• Stories responding to RFK Jr.’s claims about autism or the autism registry 

You can use this link to provide information and let us know if you are comfortable sharing your story with Members of Congress and their staff. 

AUCD Policy Blog

AUCD invites Network members to fill out this form if you’re interested in writing for the AUCD policy blog. We are open to a variety of issues areas, and we will follow up with you as relevant issues come up that we’d like you to write about. 

Check out our first blog "Personal Reflections on Fifty Years Since the Signing of the Willowbrook Consent Decree: Litigation, Policy, and the Importance of Medicaid," written by Joanne Florio Siegel, ACSW, LCSW. 

Disability Policy for All with Liz

Join Liz on Instagram Reels, where she provides plain language updates on policy, highlighting current issues and hot topics in federal disability policy.

Liz Weintraub is AUCD's Senior Advocacy Specialist and the host of “Disability Policy for All with Liz.” She has extensive experience practicing leadership in self-advocacy and has held many board and advisory positions at state and national organizations, including the Council on Quality & Leadership (CQL) and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council.

Watch Liz’s most recent video interviewing AUCD Network members on the important work that UCEDDs do.

Words to Know

Reconciliation 

This is a process of passing bills that affects how the government spends money. It is unique because usually, you need more people to vote ‘yes’ for a bill. With reconciliation, you don’t need as many lawmakers to vote ‘yes.’ This is why reconciliation is usually used when lawmakers in one political party (either Democrat or Republican) want to pass bills they know the other political party wouldn’t like very much. They can do this when there is the same political party in charge of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency. 

Block Grant

A block grant is a single sum of money that the federal government gives to states to support a group of related programs, instead of funding each program separately. This puts responsibility on states to figure out how they should fairly give out the money across different programs. This is different from some other kinds of grants from the federal government. For example, some other grants might be given to states in multiple payments instead of just one, depending on the unique needs of the people who live in the state. Some grants might have more specific instructions on how to use the money. Block grants don't tend to have those specific instructions. People are worried that states might not use the money in the way that it is supposed to be used, such as for funding UCEDDs.

Immigration Police

Also known as “ICE,” this is special police that is supposed to keep people from coming in to the United States and goes around and arrests people the government doesn’t think should be here or are here illegally.