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October 17, 2025 | Vol. MMXXV | Issue 134
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In this edition:
Appropriations & Government Shutdown
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Education
Education & Workforce Ranking Member Scott Holds Forum
New Legislation
AUCD Materials
Words to Know
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Appropriations & Government Shutdown |
The federal government is still shut down. Congress needs to pass either a full-year appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2026 or a continuing resolution (CR) to continue to fund the government at current spending levels for a shorter amount of time.
On October 16, the Senate voted for the tenth time on the Republican CR, which would fund the government through November 21 at similar funding levels as the previous year (FY25). It did not have enough votes to pass. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has not called the House back in session as part of his attempt to pressure the Senate to pass the Republican CR and reopen the government. Democrats want a deal on the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, while Republicans want to open the government first.
There are many consequences to the shutdown, including to programs that need to be funded through appropriations legislation. This includes Medicare’s Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative; since no legislation was passed, hospitals are worried that there won’t be enough funding to support the program. Some hospitals are withdrawing from the program and seeing increased volume at hospitals that are about to become more crowded during the fall and winter.
The White House has implied that currently furloughed federal workers aren’t necessarily entitled to back pay once the government reopens, a marked difference from past shutdowns. The President has indicated that some federal workers might get paid and some might not, specifically saying that “Democrat programs” would be cut and might not come back.
On October 14, the President talked about canceling federal programs that he says Democrats support—what he referred to as “the most egregious, socialist, semi communist, probably not full communist” programs. From Politico:
"We're not closing up Republican programs because we think they work," the president said. "We're closing up Democrat programs that we disagree with. And they're never going to open again."
On October 15, a federal judge ruled that the Administration is not following legal requirements for conducting reductions in force (RIFs) and blocked it from carrying out layoffs during the government shutdown. The judge "cited public comments about the shutdown made by
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, adding that the layoffs appear to be unlawfully targeted at Democrats."
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Key Takeaways |
Congressional Democrats also released a CR to extend government funding through October 31, reverse the Medicaid cuts in H.R.1, and permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits. However, Senate Republicans—the majority party in Congress—are not allowing Democrats to keep bringing their own CR to the floor for votes anymore. They had previously brought both the Republican and Democrat CRs for multiple votes. Now, many Democrats are also saying that, as part of a deal to reopen the government, they want a commitment to rehire federal employees that were removed in the massive RIFs.
The expanded tax credits will expire on December 31, which could result in millions more uninsured people and higher premiums. Learn more from KFF here. While December 31 is officially the expiration date of the expanded tax credits, November 1 is when open enrollment begins, so Democrats feel that there is some pressure to extend the tax credits sooner. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has said that he has promised Democrats that the Senate will hold a vote on extending the
ACA tax credits, but there is very little trust between Democrats and Republicans in Congress right now.
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Plain Language |
The government is shut down right now. This means that government departments and agencies are not working. The government shut down because Congress did not pass a spending bill on time. The deadline was September 30. Congress needed to pass a government spending bill to make sure the government is funded in 2026, which is also called "appropriations." Appropriations means money that is set aside by Congress for a particular use.
The Senate voted 10 times on a continuing resolution (also called a CR), which is a funding bill that makes sure the government has enough money for a few more months. This CR was introduced by Republicans and most Democrats in Congress don't like it. The Senate keeps voting on the same bill but nothing is changing. The House of Representatives is not working right now because the Republican leader of the House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), wants to put pressure on the Senate to pass a CR first.
Democrats really want to make sure that people can continue to save money on healthcare using something called "tax credits." Many people are able to pay less for healthcare every month by using 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. The Affordable Care Act is a law that gave healthcare to more people. Democrats want to make sure that people can still use these tax credits in the future so they can save money and afford
healthcare. November 1 is when open enrollment begins—this means that people can start signing up for healthcare on November 1. This is why Democrats feel like they need to hurry up and make sure the tax credits can be extended so that healthcare insurance companies don’t increase the amount of money people need to pay. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has said that he has promised Democrats that the Senate will hold a vote on extending the ACA tax credits, but the Republicans and Democrats in Congress do not trust each other right now.
Now, many Democrats are also saying that, as part of a deal to reopen the government, they want an agreement to rehire the employees that the President fired. Democrats in the House and Senate introduced their own CR, which Republicans didn’t like. Because Republicans are in control of what happens in Congress, they can do some things to stop Democrat bills from moving forward. Republicans said they would stop letting Democrats bring up their CR for another vote.
The Medicare Acute Hospital Care at Home program helps people get healthcare in their homes instead of in a hospital. This program gets money from appropriations bills. Since no appropriations bills have been passed, some hospitals are getting worried that there won't be enough funding for their program. They are leaving the program and getting worried about how there might be too many people at the hospital during the winter, which is when more people get sick.
The President and other people at the White House are in charge of what happens during a government shutdown. They are saying that they might not pay government workers for the time that the government was shut down. During a government shutdown, government workers don't get paid. They have to wait until the government opens up again. This time, the President and people at the White House are saying that they might not pay people at all, even when they get back. The President also said he wanted to cut "Democrat programs" during the shutdown. Government programs aren't Democratic or Republican, but sometimes Democrats like certain programs and Republicans like other ones. The White House has started firing people from different government agencies, including
in the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.
On October 14, the President said this:
"We're not closing up Republican programs because we think they work. We're closing up Democrat programs that we disagree with. And they're never going to open again."
This is concerning because the President can't decide which programs to close based on whether Democrats like them or Republicans like them. That is not fair and not legal. On October 15, a judge said that the Administration is not following the law the way that they are firing a lot of government workers. The judge said that it seemed like the Administration was targeting Democrats.
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Department of Health and Human Services |
On October 10, the White House started additional reductions in force (RIFs) in the federal government that are being challenged in the courts. According to a new court filing from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), part of a case being brought by several unions representing federal workers, the official number of employees at HHS who received a RIF notice is 982. Other reporting says that the Administration is cutting more than 1,200 people from HHS. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hundreds of employees were fired, then rehired. Most of the team at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were laid off, adding to the hundreds of SAMHSA staff who were fired in the spring. Within SAMHSA, the entire Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), was laid off.
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Key Takeaways |
The sweeping RIFs concern public health experts, advocates, health care providers, and many more people whose programs will be affected by a federal government that cannot do its job. When this many employees are removed from the federal government, agencies are not able to carry out enforcement, dole out funding, provide updates on policy changes or provide guidance, or support people that rely on government programs in their daily lives.
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Plain Language |
On October 10, the White House started to fire more people. When they fire many people at once, they call it a "reduction in force" or a RIF. Many organizations are saying that this is illegal and bringing cases to court. Some people are saying that there have been 982 people affected by a RIF at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Other people and articles say that it is 1,200 people. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hundreds of employees were fired, then rehired. Most of the team at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were fired. This department helps people who have mental health problems or are
addicted to something. Addiction means that you can't stop putting something into your body--like alcohol or drugs--even though it is making you sick. There were hundreds of SAMHSA staff who were fired in the spring of this year. Within SAMHSA, the entire Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), was fired. PAIMI protects the rights of people with mental health problems.
The RIFs are making a lot of people worried, including public health experts, advocates, health care providers, and many more people whose programs will not work anymore. When this many employees are fired from the federal government, agencies can't do their jobs to look into situations where people are being treated badly. They can't give out money to projects and programs that need it. They can't give updates or information on how organizations need to follow policy rules. Also, they can't help people who rely on the government for money, healthcare, transportation, and other things they use in their daily lives.
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Department of Education |
On October 10, the Trump Administration announced to 95% of the staff at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that their jobs will be eliminated within 60 days. They were shut out of their offices, and their work has stopped. Additional key offices within the Department have been gutted, including the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), leaving the nation without the federal infrastructure that ensures students and people with disabilities receive the education and services they are guaranteed under law. On October 15, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order stopping the Department of Education and other
agencies from carrying out firings during the government shutdown. Once the shutdown ends, the Administration might try and continue to carry out RIFs.
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP): Key functions include ensuring the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is actively implemented (funding agency and compliance overseer)
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Supports people with disabilities in gaining employment and living independently
RSA data team was terminated, halting the analysis and publication of data that Congress and the public rely upon to measure the success of vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs
RIF mandates that by December 9, staffing will drop from about 60 professionals to only 3, responsible for administering $4.4 billion in federal grants across 78 state agencies
Office for Civil Rights (OCR): Enforces equal educational opportunity for all; reviews discrimination complaints, carries out oversight
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought asking for more information on the reductions in force. Representative Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, asked for specific data related to the number of employees fired from OSEP, RSA, OCR, and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), how the agency will continue to follow the statutory requirements of the IDEA, and what
efforts the Administration is taking to support students with disabilities as required by IDEA.
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Key Takeaways |
There is a lot of confusion about Department of Education staffing. Because layoff notices were sent to official email accounts that staff were barred from accessing during the furlough, even basic information about who remains employed has been difficult to confirm. It is likely that almost all staff in the remaining offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Kansas City, Denver, and Seattle have been fired. Most staff were required to leave their government laptops locked in offices, leaving them unable to check messages or confirm their status. The lack of transparency has resulted in a lot of confusion.
OSEP, OCR, and RSA are responsible for making sure that students with disabilities receive the education and services they are guaranteed under IDEA, and that people with disabilities are protected from discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Without them, there is no federal oversight or accountability to ensure that children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education, that discrimination in schools is investigated, or that state VR programs are properly administered.
AUCD issued a statement: AUCD Condemns Administration’s Dismantling of the Department of Education’s Disability and Civil Rights Offices
Action Item: AUCD has a Quorum campaign to contact Members of Congress and demand that they take action to restore these key programs. Take 2 minutes to tell your Members of Congress to intervene: https://aucd.quorum.us/campaign/144592/
Please note—the language in this campaign constitutes lobbying as the messages directly ask Members of Congress to take specific actions. Please consider this when choosing the email you use to send the messages.
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Plain Language |
Over the weekend, the Trump Administration fired many people at the Department of Education. By doing this, they shut down the offices in the federal government whose job it is to make sure students with disabilities have rights in schools. Civil rights means that people should be treated fairly, and no one should be treated badly because of who they are. A judge told the Administration that they have to stop firing people in these offices because they are not following the law. The Administration might stop for now and continue later, once the government is working again. The Administration fired almost all of the people in these offices:
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) – This office makes sure schools are following the rules of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). OSEP turns IDEA from a law on paper into real changes in peoples' lives. They also give money to programs for students in special education. On October 10, the Administration fired everyone except 2-5 people in this office. This will make it very hard for this office to make sure that schools are following the rules of IDEA.
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) – This office supports people with disabilities going from school to employment and living independently. The Administration fired many people who get information about vocational rehabilitation, which is training people so they can get a job. This information is really important, but no one is there to get the information or tell the public about it. The Rehabilitation Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are both laws that support people with disabilities going
from school to work and helping them live in the community. Because so many people have been fired from RSA, the federal government won't be able to make sure that people are following the rules of these laws. The Administration said that by December 9, the number of people working at RSA will go from about 60 people to only three.
Office for Civil Rights (OCR) – This office is in charge of making sure students are being treated fairly. When a student with a disability is treated unfairly because of their disability, they go to OCR to get justice. This might mean that a school is punished or has to change its rules to be more fair. It takes a lot of people to look into cases where there might be discrimination against someone with a disability. Discrimination means to treat someone badly because of who they are. The people who look into these cases are called
investigators. The Administration fired almost all of the investigators in this office. There are thousands of cases that haven’t been looked into yet.
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought asking for more information on firings at the Department of Education. OMB Director Vought is in charge of staff for the federal government. Representative Fitzpatrick asked about the number of people who were fired from OSEP, RSA, OCR, and another office called the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), which works on education policy for younger students. He also asked how the Department of Education will still follow the rules of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which is a law that makes sure students with disabilities have access to the same education options as
students without disabilities. He wants to make sure students will still get the support they are supposed to have under IDEA.
A lot of people are confused about how many employees still work in these offices. During a government shutdown, the government is not working. This means that most government workers can't even use their government email. This made it hard for employees to know if they had been fired or not—they couldn’t even check their email to see if they were fired! It is likely that almost all the staff in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Kansas City, Denver, and Seattle were fired. Most staff had to leave their laptops locked in their offices, which they can't go into right now.
Students with disabilities and their families have civil rights under the law, and people in many different government offices work hard to make sure schools are following that law. IDEA, the Rehabilitation Act, WIOA, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are all really important laws that give people with disabilities rights. Firing the people who work at these Department of Education offices is bad because it goes against what Congress wanted when they passed these laws. Firing these people will make it harder for families to get help from the federal government when there is discrimination in schools. AUCD wants Congress to get involved and fix things as much as they can. Congress needs to help re-hire all the people who were fired and tell the
Administration that they need to follow the laws.
AUCD released a statement.
Action Item: AUCD has a Quorum campaign to contact Members of Congress and tell them that they need to take action to bring back these key programs. Take 2 minutes to tell your Members of Congress to get involved: https://aucd.quorum.us/campaign/144592/
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Education & Workforce Ranking Member Scott Holds Forum
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On October 16, House Education & Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) held a forum focused on the harms done to the disability community during the Trump Administration. Representative Scott referenced the sweeping layoffs at the Department of Education offices that work on special education and protecting students with disabilities, the Administration's proposal to close the Administration for Community Living, the President’s efforts to weaken enforcement of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and more. You can read Representative Scott's press release on the forum here.
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Plain Language |
On October 16, Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) held a big meeting where he had people talk about the bad things that the Administration has done to the disability community. Representative Scott is the Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Committee in the House of Representatives. This means that he leads a lot of the work of the committee. Representative Scott talked about the firings at the Department of Education offices that work on special education and protecting students with disabilities. He also mentioned how the Administration wants to close the Administration for Community Living, which helps people with disabilities live in the community. He said that
the President did something to make Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act not as important. Section 503 makes it illegal for companies that work with the federal government to discriminate against people with disabilities when they are hiring someone for a job. To discriminate means to treat someone badly because of who they are.
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New Legislation
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S.3010
S.Res.453
Introduced by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
A resolution designating the week beginning September 7, 2025, as "National Direct Support Professionals Week"
Agreed to in the Senate
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Plain Language |
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced a bill that would change the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to include more about dyslexia. Dyslexia is a disability that makes it hard to read.
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a resolution, which is like an announcement. The resolution would make the week of September 7 "National Direct Support Professionals Week." Direct Support Professionals help people with daily living and are very important to many people with disabilities. The Senate agreed on the resolution, so it is moving forward.
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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.
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AUCD Policy Blog
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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 most recent blog post by Theo Braddy, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living about the 52nd anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act: The Game Changer: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
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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 the most recent Disability Policy for All with Liz video on the changes at the Department of Education.
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Words to Know
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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.’
Government Shutdown
When there is a government shutdown, government departments and agencies are not working. This happens when Congress does not pass a funding bill on time, usually when Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on how to fund the government. During a government shutdown, some people will keep working, especially if they keep people safe.
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