September 26, 2025 | Vol. MMXXV | Issue 131

In this edition:

• Appropriations 

• Department of Health and Human Services

• New Legislation

• AUCD Materials

• Words to Know

Appropriations

To avoid a government shutdown, Congress must approve a new government funding package for FY26 by September 30 (when the government funding year ends) or pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) that keeps the government operating on current funding levels for a specified period. While the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have marked up several funding bills, including their Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bills, and passed them out of committee, it appears Congress will be unable to finish passing full-year appropriations legislation by the September 30 deadline. Therefore, each party introduced their own version of a CR, both of which fund the government at the previous fiscal year’s spending levels with some changes to policy and new spending. 

House Republicans released a relatively “clean” CR to extend government funding through November 21. Congressional Democrats also released a CR to extend government funding through October 31. It would reverse the Medicaid cuts in H.R.1 (the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” passed into law by Republicans through the reconciliation process) and permanently extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. Democrats are pushing for a bipartisan negotiation that would extend the tax credits and reverse the Medicaid cuts – see the House Democrats’ bill here and the Senate Democrats’ bill here. The House passed its CR along party lines, but the Senate voted against it 44-48—Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) was the only Democrat to vote yes, while Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) were the only Republicans who voted against it. Democrats’ CR also did not have enough votes to pass in the Senate (47-45).

Key Takeaways

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed agencies to prepare mass firing plans for a potential government shutdown, as Republicans and Democrats in Congress remain at an impasse. Some programs will continue to operate regardless of a government shutdown, including Social Security, Medicare, and a few others. The memo from OMB outlines a shutdown plan that goes beyond what typically has happened in the past—OMB told agencies to “identify programs, projects and activities where discretionary funding will lapse Oct. 1 and no alternative funding source is available. For those areas, OMB directed agencies to begin drafting RIF plans that would go beyond standard furloughs, permanently eliminating jobs in programs not consistent with President Donald Trump’s priorities in the event of a shutdown.”

The expiring ACA tax credits have been a source of contention between Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Democrats established enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits under the American Rescue Plan, which increased enrollment in ACA Marketplaces. The enhanced provision made more people eligible for the tax credits and increased the amount of tax credits. The enhanced version will expire on December 31, and their expiration could result in millions more uninsured people and higher premiums. Learn more from KFF here.

Plain Language

Congress needs to pass a government spending bill to make sure the government is funded in 2026, also called “appropriations.” Appropriations means money that is set aside by Congress for a particular use. The appropriations process happens once a year. Money is sometimes requested by the President’s Administration or by Congress for a specific use.

Right now, Congress is in the middle of its appropriations process for 2026 funding. The Senate and House Appropriations Committee passed some 2026 appropriations bills but they haven't finished this process. Congress needs to pass a government funding bill by September 30, which does not give them a lot of time. This is why Members of Congress are going to pass a Continuing Resolution or a “CR.” A CR is a funding bill that makes sure the government has enough money for a few more months. It gives Members of Congress a little more time to finish their full year appropriations bill.

Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced a CR that Democrats in Congress didn't like. Democrats in the House and Senate introduced their own CR, which Republicans didn’t like. The Democrats’ bill does two things that would affect healthcare:

1. It would stop the big cuts to Medicaid that are going to happen because of H.R.1, or the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”
   
   

2. It would help people continue saving money on healthcare using something called “tax credits” – explained below.

Many people are able to pay less for healthcare every month because of something called “tax credits.” A tax credit is an amount of money that people can save when they file their taxes. Usually, they are a reward from the federal government. For example, if the federal government wants more people to get health insurance, they might offer a tax credit to people who get health insurance. The Affordable Care Act has special tax credits that will end on December 31, 2025. Democrats want to make sure that people can still use these tax credits in the future so they can save money and afford healthcare. Their CR includes a piece that makes those tax credits last forever.

If Congress doesn’t pass a spending bill by the deadline, the government would shut down. This means many departments would stop working, which could affect people who get benefits from the government. The Office of Management and Budget is a government agency that makes decisions about how the federal government works and how money is spent. The Office of Management and Budget told other government agencies that they should get ready to fire a lot of people who work for the government if Congress doesn’t pass a spending bill by the deadline. Usually during a government shutdown, people who work for the government might have to stop working and stop getting paid for a short amount of time. This time, the administration is saying that they might fire people permanently.

Department of Health and Human Services

Autism – On Monday, September 22, the Trump administration held a press conference presenting debunked and discredited claims that autism can be caused when mothers take Tylenol during pregnancy and when children are administered standard vaccines. President Trump, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary gave remarks. The President repeatedly warned expecting mothers not to take Tylenol while pregnant except in cases of when they were unable to “tough it out.”

FDA Commissioner Makary announced that the FDA will approve the drug leucovorin, also known as folinic acid, to treat “speech-related deficits for autism.” Medicaid and CHIP will cover this medication, despite the $1.02 trillion cuts enacted through H.R.1 (the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”) that will eliminate at least 10.5 million people from Medicaid and CHIP. Dr. Oz has said he hopes CMS’ coverage will inspire private insurance to cover the medication as well. Administration officials asserted that folate deficiency in a child’s brain can lead to autism. The FDA issued a physician notice for acetaminophen, advising that “clinicians should consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for routine low-grade fevers.” The FDA has also started the process to change the label on acetaminophen to suggest that it might cause autism when taken during pregnancy.

NIH Director Bhattacharya announced that NIH has launched the Autism Data Science Initiative to conduct research into the causes of autism. They have funded 13 research projects that will “integrate, aggregate and analyze existing data resources” and investigate potential influences “including environmental contaminants such as pesticides and air pollutants, maternal nutrition and diet, perinatal complications, psychosocial stress, and immune responses during pregnancy and early development.”

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is specifically designed to include engagement from the autism community, and is required by the Autism CARES Act to meet. However, it has not met yet under President Trump’s current presidency. On September 24, the NIH posted a call for membership nominations to the IACC, which will be accepted through November 10, 2025.

On September 25, Politico reported that Secretary Kennedy’s staff is working on including some autistic children in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program so that their families can potentially receive awards. The program is meant for people who believe they were injured as a result of receiving a covered vaccine to be financially compensated. Parents can file on behalf of children and disabled adults. Vaccines do not cause autism.

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices – The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on September 18 and 19. They voted to remove the blanket recommendation that adults and older adults should get a COVID vaccine and instead recommend the use of “individual decision-making” for people to decide whether they will get the vaccine. This means they are recommending people speak with a clinician about the risks and benefits of getting the vaccine instead of assuming that they should get it. The panel voted against advising states and localities to require a prescription for COVID vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Acting Director Jim O’Neill still needs to sign off on these recommendations before they become final. This past issue of Disability Policy News includes previous ACIP updates.

Key Takeaways

Autism – Research has not proven that there is a causal relationship between acetaminophen and autism. The administration’s rushed process to make this announcement is concerning—they say they reached their conclusion in only 5 months, an incredibly expedited timeline. President Trump and administration officials depicted autism as an epidemic, a horrible condition, a “fever,” and included it in a list of “chronic conditions that plague Americans.” Speaking about autism and autistic people this way while amplifying debunked science about the causes of autism is dangerous and ignorant. It furthers harmful and ableist perceptions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities while shutting out the voices of autistic individuals and ignoring their perspectives.

The reaction to the administration’s announcement has been swift. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the World Health Organization, and other public health advocates have called these claims incorrect, reckless, and not based in science. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, and John Thune (R-SD), Senate Majority Leader, have pushed back on the assertions made by President Trump and the other administration officials. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) sent a letter to Secretary Kennedy highlighting the potential privacy and scientific integrity issues with the Real-World Data Platform pilot, which is being developed by NIH and CMS to study causes of autism. He writes that the NIH-CMS study will “link Medicare and Medicaid claims for individuals with autism to other health data, including electronic medical records and consumer wearable-device data, in order to study causes of autism and outcomes.”

You can read AUCD’s statement here and a statement from leading autism and disability organizations, including AUCD, here. The UC Davis MIND Institute, which is a member of AUCD’s Network, was referenced during the press conference. They issued this statement, responding to that reference and refuting the administration’s claims.

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices – Advocates and physicians are concerned that these new recommendations may be confusing for people who want to get vaccinated and pharmacies who provide the vaccines. Shifting guidelines and a weaker endorsement of COVID vaccines could result in fewer adults getting a vaccine, which could disproportionately affect people with disabilities—especially people who are immunocompromised or use assistive technology to help them breathe.

Plain Language

Autism – On Monday, September 22, the Trump administration made a big announcement and said one of the causes of autism is when pregnant women take acetaminophen, which is a medicine that helps with pain and fevers. Acetaminophen is also called Tylenol sometimes. This isn’t true, and a lot of doctors have said that the administration was wrong about this announcement. The people who made this announcement are in charge of health policy for the government. This is dangerous because when they make announcements that are not based on facts, people might get the wrong idea about health and medicine. President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said that acetaminophen causes autism and that autism is really bad. The science shows that acetaminophen does not cause autism. A baby cannot get autism from their parent taking acetaminophen. A baby cannot get autism from taking acetaminophen. Doctors who take care of pregnant people and babies say that acetaminophen is safe.

The President, Secretary Kennedy, and other government officials said that parents should give their autistic children leucovorin. Leucovorin is a kind of medicine. Doctors usually give leucovorin to people who have cancer. Scientists have not done enough research about how leucovorin affects autistic kids. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is part of the government that makes decisions about what food is safe and which drugs people should take. The person in charge of the FDA, Marty Makary, said he is going to spread the word that acetaminophen can cause autism, even though that is not true.

The National Institutes of Health has started a project to do research into the causes of autism. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) sent a letter to Secretary Kennedy saying he is worried that this project will not protect the privacy of autistic people. Other Senators, including some Republican Senators, are also worried about the President’s announcement because it was not based on facts.

The President said that vaccines cause autism, but that is not true. Someone who works for Secretary Kennedy said that he was working with the Secretary to include autistic kids in a program that helps people who might be hurt by a vaccine. This doesn’t make sense because vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines are safe. Vaccines help stop people from getting really sick. You can read a plain language resource about vaccines and autism from the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) here.

Talking about autism like it is a horrible disease is not respectful to autistic people. Autistic people were not involved in making this announcement. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) has said this: “Autism is a developmental disability — and disability is a natural part of human diversity. Autism is something we are born with, and that shouldn’t be changed. Autistic children should get the support they need to grow up into happy, self-determined autistic adults.” You can read a statement from AUCD, ASAN, and other organizations that work on autism and disability policy here.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – ACIP is a group of people who help the government make choices about vaccines. In June, Secretary Kennedy fired the people who were in the group. Then, he hired new people. Many advocates were concerned with this new group of people. The people in this group have all done or said things that spread incorrect information about vaccines or show they don’t agree with the things the government did to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines are shots doctors give people to keep people from getting sick.

ACIP had a meeting September 18 and 19 to decide if they will make changes to the federal government's vaccine advice. They decided to change the vaccine advice about COVID vaccines. The government used to say that adults should definitely get the COVID vaccine. Now, they are saying that people should talk to a doctor before getting a vaccine. People might be confused about this advice, and they might not get a vaccine. This could be bad for people with disabilities, especially people who have a disability that makes it easier for them to get sick or people who use a device to help them breathe.

New Legislation

• The Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act (S.2898)

  • Introduced by Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)

  • Would ensure that grant programs are able to continue to provide essential care and resources for people with traumatic brain injuries

  • You can read Senator Mullin’s press release here.
    
    

• The Protecting Students with Disabilities Act (S.2913)

  • Introduced by Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD)

  • Would prohibit the use of appropriated funds to eliminate, consolidate, or otherwise restructure any office within the Department of Education that administers or enforces programs serving individuals with disabilities

  • You can read Senator Alsobrooks’ press release here.
    
    

• Resolution: Black Autism Acceptance and Awareness Day (H.Res.752)

  • Introduced by Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY)

  • Would designate September 19, 2025, as Black Autism Acceptance and Awareness Day, highlighting the persistent racial disparities in autism diagnosis and treatment and calling on Americans to promote awareness, acceptance, and equity for Black autistic individuals

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

• The Make American Healthy Again Act (H.R.5404)

  • Introduced by Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY)

  • Would establish in law President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again Commission
    
    

• The StopCMV Act (H.R.5435)

  • Introduced by Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY)

  • Would raise awareness of Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) and encourage early screenings for newborns to allow for early treatment and intervention

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

• The Protecting Free Vaccines Act (S.2857) (H.R.5448)

  • Introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

  • Would require private health insurance companies, Medicaid, and Medicare to continue covering recommended vaccines free of cost-sharing for Americans

  • You can read Senator Wyden’s press release here.
    
    

• The STOP FRAUD in Medicaid Act (H.R.5364)

  • Introduced by Representative Derek Schmidt (R-KS)

  • Would direct State Medicaid fraud control units to investigate and prosecute instances of beneficiary fraud

Plain Language

There are a few new bills in the U.S. Congress.

• The Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act would help people who hurt their heads and now have long-lasting injuries that affect their lives.
  
  

• The Protecting Students with Disabilities Act would make sure Department of Education programs that support students with disabilities can continue even though the Trump Administration is closing the Department of Education.
  
  

• The Black Autism Acceptance and Awareness Day Resolution would make September 19 a special day that raises awareness of the experiences of autistic people who are Black. Sometimes people who are Black or are not white have different challenges with their disability because they also experience racism. Racism is when people treat somebody badly because of the color of their skin.
  
  

• The Make America Healthy Again Act would make the President’s special group—also called a “commission” called the Make America Healthy Again commission—official.
  
  

• The StopCMV Act would raise awareness about a virus called Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) that can hurt babies. The virus can make it hard for babies to grow their brain, liver, lungs, and other parts of their bodies.
  
  

• The Protecting Free Vaccines Act would make sure that private health insurance companies, Medicaid, and Medicare cover the cost of vaccines so that people don’t have to pay for them. Vaccines are shots that keep people healthy and make sure they don’t get certain sicknesses.
  
  

• The STOP FRAUD in Medicaid Act would make state Medicaid offices look into fraud. Medicaid fraud is when someone pretends to need Medicaid but doesn’t.

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.

Check out our most recent blog post by Evan Seufert, a third year Transition in Postsecondary Settings (TOPS) student at The Ohio State University and Jessie Green, Ph.D. is a research assistant professor and the LEND special education faculty member at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center: My Experience as a Newcomer to Society from Nowhere

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 Disability Policy for All with Liz videos here.

Words to Know

Appropriations 

This is money that is set aside by Congress for a particular use. The appropriations process happens once a year. Money is sometimes requested by the President’s Administration or by Congress for a specific use.

Continuing Resolution

This is an agreement to fund the government for a short amount of time. This agreement usually lasts for less than a year. It is sometimes called a ‘CR.’

Vaccine

Vaccines are shots that doctors, nurses, and other people who work in health care give people to keep us from getting sick.

Tax Credit

A tax credit is an amount of money that people can save when they file their taxes. Usually, they are a reward from the federal government. For example, if the federal government wants more people to get health insurance, they might offer a tax credit to people who get health insurance.