AUCD’s Community Inclusion Team supports the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Network in partnership with the Administration for Community Living.
AUCD’s Maternal and Child Health Engagement supports the Autism CARES Programs, including LEND and DBP Programs.
AUCD’s Public Health Team works to create health promotion and public health efforts that include people with disabilities.
AUCD Emerging Leaders are a part of a community that includes trainees, early career professionals, self-advocates, and family members from AUCD member Centers and Programs.
AUCD's Disability Policy News (DPN) is a weekly newsletter highlighting federal policy issues affecting people with disabilities and their families. DPN features updates in plain language and action steps that people can take to educate policymakers. DPN is published every Friday.
In this edition:
Appropriators have begun drafting legislation to fund various federal agencies, as well as holding markups and hearings to consider the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill—which funds AUCD programs—is going to be marked up on June 5 by the LHHS subcommittee and on June 11 for the full Appropriations Committee.
Additionally, Congressional Republicans are moving forward with their second party-line budget reconciliation bill this Congress. This bill would fund the immigration enforcement agencies in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It previously included Secret Service upgrades related to the President’s White House ballroom project, but that part was removed when the Senate parliamentarian ruled that Republicans could not include it in the legislation, per Senate rules. Several Republican Senators have also voiced opposition to spending taxpayer dollars to build the proposed White House ballroom. President Trump subsequently demanded that Senate Republicans fire the parliamentarian.
On Wednesday, the Senate Budget Committee voted the reconciliation bill out of committee. On Thursday night, Senate Republican leadership canceled a vote on the bill because they couldn’t come to an agreement on a particular provision. The Senate is now in recess until June 1, which President Trump has set as a deadline for the bill to pass.
Appropriations means money that is set aside by Congress for a particular use.
Congress is starting to write and pass appropriations bills for different federal government departments and programs. They are having budget hearings, where they meet with agency leaders who talk about the President's Budget. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is in charge of funding and other support that AUCD programs get. Congress will also hold markups, which is when they meet to work on bills and make updates and changes. The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill—which funds AUCD programs—is going to be marked up on June 5 by the subcommittee (a smaller group that just focuses on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education) and on June 11 for the full Appropriations Committee.
Congressional Republicans want to pass a bill to give money to the part of the Department of Homeland Security that includes immigration police: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). They are using a special process called reconciliation. This process can be used for bills that are about spending money. It can be used when the same political party (Republicans or Democrats) are in charge of the Senate, the House, and the Presidency. 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.
This reconciliation bill was also going to include money for some safety and security work at the White House, including making some change to the ballroom, which is one of the fancier event rooms. However, the Senate Parliamentarian, who tells Senators about what the rules are, said that the part about the ballroom was against Senate rules. Some Republicans also didn't want that part in the bill as well. The Senate was going to vote on the bill, but they couldn't agree on a different part. The Senate is in recess (working in their states instead of D.C.) until June 1. The President wants this bill passed by June 1. He also wants the Senate to fire the Senate Parliamentarian.
View past issues of Disability Policy News to learn more about AUCD's policy priorities and how you can engage in policy actions.
