January 30, 2026 | Vol. MMXXVI | Issue 146

In this edition:

• Appropriations

• Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

• Vaccines

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• Senate HELP Committee Hearing

• Section 504 Lawsuit

• New Legislation

• AUCD Materials

• Words to Know

Appropriations

The current continuing resolution (CR) expires at the end of January, which makes passing a new CR or full-year funding bill a time-sensitive priority in Congress.

Last Saturday, another citizen was shot and killed by federal immigration agents during a protest in Minnesota. After this incident—and following others like it—many Senate Democrats have announced that they would not advance appropriations legislation unless the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding was stripped. Many were calling for the DHS bill to be renegotiated and pulled from the larger appropriations package so that the other five appropriations bills could pass. Republican Members were largely opposed to this proposal.

This week, the Senate voted against moving forward with the six-bill package that included DHS funding. Eight Republicans joined Senate Democrats in voting against the package, some in pursuit of further spending cuts and others in support of DHS funding changes. The Republicans were Senators Ted Budd (NC), Ron Johnson (WI), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Mike Lee (UT), Rand Paul (KY), Rick Scott (FL), and Ashley Moody (FL).

On January 29, it was announced that Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to a deal (with the President’s endorsement) to separate the DHS bill from the rest of the funding bills. The new continuing resolution (short-term funding bill) will temporarily fund DHS at its current levels for a few weeks.

Key Takeaways

Because any changes to the six-bill package (including stripping DHS funding) need to go back to the House for their review—and the House is in recess this week—it is not possible for Congress to pass the appropriations package by the January 30 deadline. This will trigger a partial government shutdown over the weekend. On Monday, the House will take up the Senate’s newly updated appropriations bills and vote on them.

Plain Language

At the end of last year, Congress passed 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 will fund the government until the end of January, so Congress needs to figure out how they will fund the government after that. This process is called "appropriations." Appropriations means money that is set aside by Congress for a particular use.

Last week, another person was shot and killed by immigration police during a protest in Minnesota. This has happened a few times and has made people all around the country very upset. Immigration police are part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Many Senate Democrats said that because immigration police have hurt people and messed up, they should have less money and more rules. They want to change a funding bill that would give more money to the Department of Homeland Security. This would be a big change because the House already passed that bill and sent it to the Senate.

There are six total bills that the House passed to fund the government. This week, the Senate voted on the six-bill package, but there weren't enough Senators who voted for it to pass. Some Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it. Some wanted changes to the DHS bill, and others wanted more funding cuts for other programs.

On January 29, there was an announcement that Senate Democrats and Republicans made a deal. They decided to separate the DHS bill from the other five funding bills. The President agreed with this. The new DHS bill will be a CR that will last for a few weeks. Because this is a change to the House-passed bill, it has to go back to the House to be passed again before the President can sign it. However, the House is in recess this week (also called a state work period), which is a time when Members of Congress leave Washington, D.C. and go to their home states to have meetings and events. They will come back from recess on Monday to vote on the new bill. This means that the government will have a "partial shutdown" this weekend. Only some of the government will shut down, not the whole thing.

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has appointed 21 new members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) in a complete overhaul of the committee. The IACC is a federal body that advises the HHS Secretary, coordinates across the federal government, and provides a public forum for discussion on issues related to autism. HHS did not reappoint any existing IACC members, despite numerous members' eligibility for a second term on the committee.

Key Takeaways

Advocates are concerned about new IACC members, many of whom have linked autism and the “gut microbiome,” espoused the benefits of hyperbaric treatments, advocated for banning the use of thimerosal in vaccines, and identified “toxins” and inflammation as the sources of autism. Their published works and advocacy records mirror the ideology that Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been pushing since he began his tenure at HHS, which includes a focus on “fixing” or “fighting” autism and blaming childhood vaccines for the rise in autism rates. There is broad concern from advocates and researchers that the new IACC will reject quality scientific discovery in favor of serving to prove the conclusions that the Secretary has predetermined about autism. Additionally, HHS appointed fewer self-advocates than the last iteration of the committee—the new group of appointees includes three self-advocates, down from seven.

The Autism Science Foundation released a statement on the new IACC membership in which they say that this new membership “does not reflect the breadth of the autism community” and “disproportionately represents a very small subset of families who believe vaccines cause autism, while excluding the overwhelming majority of autistic individuals, families, and advocates who support evidence-based science.”

Plain Language

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a group in the government that helps the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary make decisions about autism policy. This committee works with many people across the whole federal government to give out information about autism. This week, HHS added 21 new members to the committee. They did not include anyone who was on the committee before, even though there were a few people who could have served for another year. Disability advocates are worried about these new members because many of them have said things about autism that aren't true. Some of them have said that vaccines or issues with the stomach cause autism. Some have advocated for treatments for autism that do not help autistic people. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has talked about autism like it is something to fix or fight, which is not respectful to autistic people. Advocates and disability organizations are worried that this new IACC will do what Secretary Kennedy wants them to do and will not follow science when they make recommendations. People are also upset because there are fewer self-advocates in this IACC than there were before. Previously, there were 7 self-advocates. Now, there are 3.

Vaccines

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – The chair of ACIP, Kirk Milhoan, recently made comments on a podcast that seemed to question whether or not Americans need to take the polio vaccine. His comments, as reported by Politico and abc News, include questioning whether all children need to be vaccinated going into kindergarten, and a preference for immunization to be an individually-based decision. He also incorrectly stated that measles cases were declining before the invention of the measles vaccine. He said that the country’s “ability to have pediatric hospitals, children's hospitals, pediatric ICUs, how we look at the whole gamut of how we can treat measles is different. So that's something that comes into play.” Dr. Milhoan and others on ACIP make decisions regarding the childhood vaccine schedule.

Childhood Vaccine Schedule – The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released their own 2026 childhood immunization schedule, rejecting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations. As opposed to the CDC, AAP recommends all children be vaccinated against the flu, RSV, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, and meningococcal disease.

New Study on Public Health Databases — A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has revealed that almost half of all CDC databases used to track public health information have been paused since mid-2025. The databases were primarily tracking things like COVID vaccination rates and RSV hospitalizations. The study found that “nearly 90% of the paused databases were related to vaccinations.”

Gavi Funding – The U.S. has reportedly told Gavi, an international alliance that vaccinates children worldwide, that it will begin funding the program again if Gavi stops using vaccines with thimerosal. Thimerosal, a preservative commonly found in vaccines, has been incorrectly linked to autism by Secretary Kennedy and others in the anti-vaccine movement. The U.S. used to contribute $300 million annually to Gavi, but stopped donating in June 2025, per Secretary Kennedy’s direction.

Key Takeaways

HHS Secretary Kennedy has made reshaping vaccine policy a pillar of his policy priorities since he began his tenure at HHS. This includes changing the makeup of various committees and staff at HHS, including ACIP. In doing this, he is able to make policy changes based on his long-held belief that vaccines are mostly unsafe because they lead to developmental disabilities like autism or chronic illness like allergies, despite the lack of credible evidence to prove these points. Thimerosal in particular has been a target of the anti-vaccine movement for decades, despite the fact that it is safe for use. Actions taken by Secretary Kennedy and others at HHS have prompted external groups—such as the American Academy of Pediatrics—to step in to the role CDC once played in offering Americans science-based vaccine advice.

Plain Language

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. cares a lot about changing vaccine policy in the U.S. Vaccines are shots people get to stay healthy and not get diseases. Secretary Kennedy does not think they are safe and has said that vaccines can give people allergies or disabilities like autism, even though this isn't true. He has added a lot of people to ACIP who share his beliefs. To change vaccine policy, Secretary Kennedy has made a lot of changes to people in different committees and groups working at HHS. This includes the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which makes decisions about vaccines. He has also made the government stop giving money to some organizations who he doesn't agree with. We will talk about this more below.

New Members on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) - ACIP is a group of health officials who make decisions about vaccines and when people should get them. The leader of ACIP, Kirk Milhoan, made some comments on a podcast recently. He was questioning whether or not we still need to take the polio vaccine or measles vaccine. Polio and measles are very serious diseases that people used to die from. Dr. Milhoan was wondering if all children need to get polio vaccines before they go to kindergarten. He said that it should be up to each individual person if they get a vaccine. This is tricky because vaccines work best when everyone who can gets a vaccine. This is how diseases go away. There are some people who can't get vaccines because they are sick or have some specific disability, so everyone else is supposed to get a vaccine to keep those people safe.

Childhood Vaccine Schedule - The childhood vaccine schedule is a list of vaccines and when kids should get them. The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization that advocates for children and works on children’s healthcare. They made their own childhood vaccine schedule because they thought the new HHS childhood vaccine schedule was bad because it recommended fewer vaccines for kids. You can read more in this previous issue of Disability Policy News.

New Study on Public Health Databases – A database is a place online where a lot of information is stored. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) run a lot of databases that have information about public health. They usually include things about who is getting diseases, how many people are getting sick or getting healthcare, and other information like that. A new study has come out recently that shows that almost half of the CDC databases on public health have not been updated since the middle of 2025. This is bad because people need that information to make health policy improvements. This is specific to vaccines because nearly 90% (almost all) of the databases were about vaccinations.

Gavi Funding – Gavi is an organization that is made up of a lot of different countries. It helps children get vaccines all around the world. The U.S. usually gives $300 million to Gavi every year. Last year, Secretary Kennedy said the U.S. would stop giving money to Gavi. Now, he is saying that the U.S. will start giving money to Gavi again if they stop using vaccines with thimerosal in them. Thimerosal helps vaccines stay effective for a long time so they will still work even after they have been stored in pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and hospitals for a while. Even though there isn’t evidence that proves it, Secretary Kennedy says that thimerosal in vaccines has harmed many people and hurt brain development in children. He says that more people have autism because they got flu shots with thimerosal in them. This isn’t true. Vaccines do not cause autism. People might not get vaccines if they are scared vaccines will make them disabled. If people don’t get vaccines, they are more likely to get sick from diseases.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Work Requirements — In order implement Medicaid work requirements (sometimes called “community engagement requirements”), CMS is announcing a partnership with 10 health technology companies that have existing contracts with states in which they monitor Medicaid eligibility and enrollment. The companies “have voluntarily pledged to help states successfully prepare for and implement” the Medicaid work requirements enacted in H.R.1 (also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”). They are offering CMS more than $600 million in technology products and services to that end.

Medicare Advantage — On January 26, CMS announced a reimbursement rate increase for Medicare Advantage health insurers by 2.54%, which was less than insurers anticipated. The rate increase would go into effect in 2027. Medicare Advantage is a program in which CMS pays private insurance companies to manage healthcare for older adults and people with disabilities, and it has been criticized by some government auditors for overcharging the federal government.

Key Takeaways

Work Requirements — The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has previously scored that implementing work requirements could leave 2.5 million people uninsured. Work requirements are burdensome and expensive; they redirect funding that could help people get healthcare towards administrative and overhead costs. Advocates have long argued that people with disabilities, older adults, and their caregivers cannot be effectively “carved out” of work requirements and will be inevitably harmed. Exemption processes are complicated, expensive, and fundamentally flawed. Identifying exactly what qualifies as a disability, ensuring that people know how to request an exemption, and creating an accessible pathway to receive such an exemption has proven both misguided and unworkable. Experience shows work requirements will take away coverage from older adults and people with disabilities who are already working or are retired or have difficulty finding work, and family caregivers. You can learn more in AUCD’s Medicaid fact sheet.

Plain Language

Work Requirements - Work requirements mean that people have to prove to the federal or state government that they have a job and have worked a certain number of hours every month. They are also sometimes called community engagement requirements. Medicaid actually helps people work because it helps them get the services and supports they need to be independent and go to work when they need to. Most people who have Medicaid already work. Also, there are people who cannot work, and they still deserve to get healthcare.

In H.R.1, or the "One Big Beautiful Bill," Congress made new work requirements for people who have Medicaid. Now, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing that they are working with 10 health technology companies. These companies are going to help keep track of everyone who is applying for Medicaid and whether or not they are following the new rules around work requirements.

You can read more about this issue in AUCD's plain language Medicaid fact sheet.

Medicare Advantage – This is a program that manages healthcare for older adults and some people with disabilities. The government pays Medicare Advantage insurance companies. The insurance companies were expecting the amount of money they get paid to increase. It did not increase very much, so they are upset. Some people have said that Medicare Advantage gets too much money from the federal government, so they are glad it isn’t getting paid much more.

Senate HELP Committee Hearing

On January 28, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing entitled “Empowering Families Through Educational Choice in America.” Members and witnesses debated the advantages and disadvantages of school choice, including school voucher programs, which provide public funds for students to attend charter schools and vocational schools.

On February 3 at 10 AM, the Senate HELP Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Modernizing the National Institutes of Health: Faster Discoveries, More Cures.” National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will testify.

Key Takeaways

• HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a proponent of charter schools and school voucher programs, talked about the charter school co-founded by his wife. This charter school focuses on students with dyslexia.
  
  

• HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a report that found that school voucher programs routinely allow private schools to “deny admission to students with disabilities, limit how many students with disabilities they serve, only serve children with certain types of disabilities or charge extra tuition.”

Plain Language

On January 28, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee had a hearing where they talked about public and private schools. The hearing was called “Empowering Families Through Educational Choice in America.” Senators on the committee asked questions about charter schools, which are private schools that get some government funding. The witnesses talked about how some charter schools help students and others reject students because of who they are. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) talked about how his wife founded a charter school that helps students with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes it hard for people to read. HELP Ranking Member (second in command) Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) introduced a report on school voucher programs, which are the programs that get some students into charter schools. A voucher is the piece of paper you need to go to go from public school to a special private school. His report showed that many private schools do not let students in because they have disabilities. Some schools only let in students with certain kinds of disabilities and some charge extra money for students with disabilities, which is not fair.

Section 504 Lawsuit

On January 23, nine states renewed a lawsuit against Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the integration mandate. Under Section 504, the integration mandate ensures that people with disabilities can receive services in the community instead of institutions. The nine states are challenging a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule about the integration mandate, which says that any entity receiving funding from HHS needs to serve people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate. The nine states say that this rule is unlawful and unconstitutional.

This lawsuit is a revised version of an earlier case, in which 17 states argued that Section 504, as a whole, is unconstitutional. The states later withdrew their claim after advocacy from the disability community. Now, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, and Texas are renewing the lawsuit.

Key Takeaways

If this lawsuit is successful, it could become harder for people with disabilities to live and work in the community. You can read more in this press release from several disability advocacy organizations.

Plain Language

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act says that people with disabilities have a right to live in the community if they want to. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a rule that basically says that people with disabilities can get services and supports in the community instead of in institutions. Seventeen states who did not want to follow that rule started a lawsuit, which is when you bring something to a court to change it. However, many advocates pushed back so they dropped the lawsuit. Now, nine of the states restarted the lawsuit. Those states are Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, and Texas. If they win the lawsuit, it could become harder for people with disabilities to live and work in the community.

New Legislation

• The Ensuring Access to Medicaid Buy-in Programs Act (S.3690)

  • Introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

  • Would remove certain age restrictions on Medicaid eligibility for working adults with disabilities

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

Plain Language

• The Ensuring Access to Medicaid Buy-in Program Act would help more people with disabilities who are working get Medicaid. Some people have to stop getting Medicaid when they turn 65, but this legislation would help them keep their Medicaid.

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. Read past blog posts here.

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 on Executive Orders.

Words to Know

Continuing Resolution

This is a funding bill that makes sure the government has enough money for a few more weeks or months.

Vaccines

Vaccines are shots people get to stay healthy and not get diseases.

Work Requirements

These are sometimes known as community engagement requirements. Work requirements mean that people have to prove to the federal or state government that they have a job and have worked a certain number of hours every month.

Thimerosal

Thimerosal goes in vaccines to help them stay effective longer, so they will still work even after they have been stored in pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and hospitals for a while.

Charter School

This is a private school that receives some government funding.

School Voucher

A voucher is the piece of paper you need to go from a public school to a special private school.