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Washington Update | April 2025

Posted on by Donald Taylor

The TASH Washington Update logo. A black and white image of the U.S. Capitol building with the TASH Möbius strip behind it.

Disability and Aging Advocacy Groups Sue the Social Security Administration and DOGE

A coalition of organizations including American Association of People with Disabilities, Justice in Aging, National Federation of the Blind, Deaf Equality, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, among others, filed a federal lawsuit against the Social Security Administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE. The suit challenges mass layoffs and civil rights office closures that disproportionately impact Disabled and aging Americans. You can read the American Association of People with Disabilities press release and the text of lawsuit.

Secretary of HHS Robert F Kennedy, Jr. Announces Layoffs and the Dismantling of the Administration for Community Living

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the layoffs of 10,000 employees and began dismantling the Administration for Community Living (ACL), a key agency supporting community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities. See TASH’s Statement on Proposed Changes to the US Department of Health and Human Services for more.

Senate Passes Budget Resolution, Moving One Step Closer to Cuts to Medicaid

Over the weekend, the Senate passed the budget resolution, 51-48. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) were the only Republicans to vote against it. While Senators Hawley (R-MO) and Wyden (D-OR) cosponsored an amendment to strike the language to cut $880 billion from Medicaid, that amendment was defeated 50-49. Republican Senators Hawley, Collins, and Murkowski voted for the amendment, along with all Democratic Senators. We expect the House to try to take up the budget resolution and try to vote on it by the end of the week, before they leave on Friday, April 11 for their 2-week recess.

TASH Position Statement in Support of the U.S. Department of Education

TASH believes that the U.S. Department of Education should continue to serve as the primary federal agency that supports public education for all students, including students who receive specialized services guaranteed under federal civil rights laws, and must continue to at least provide the pass through and discretionary funds that supplement and guide states as authorized by the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Read the complete TASH Position Statement in Support of the U.S. Department of Education or visit TASH’s Advocacy Tools & Resources page for more.

Over 900 Disability Advocates Come to DC

This week TASH joined in as a co-sponsor of the Disability Policy Seminar, an event that brings people with disabilities, their families and providers together to discuss the current state of disability policy, followed by a Hill day where those advocates meet with their legislators to protect the programs that the disability community relies on.

A photograph of a large group of people it two rows in an office with dark wood bookshelves and doors. Many of the people have shirts, buttons and signs with messages about Medicaid.
A photograph of Tia Nelis raising her fist with the dome of the U.S. Capitol in the background. A photograph of Shawn Aleong gesturing with a pointed finger as he speaks into a micophone. A photograph of a man holding a hand-made protest sign that says DSPs Matter, Stop Cuts, Protect Medicaid.

Top: A state team from the 2025 Disability Policy Seminar, including TASH Executive Director Michael Brogioli (back row, third from right), visits the office of Representative Glen Ivey (Democrat, Maryland’s Fourth District; back row, fourth from right); Bottom Left: Tia Nelis at the DPS rally on Capitol Hill; Bottom Middle: Shawn Aleong at the DPS rally on Capitol Hill; Bottom Right: one of the rally attendees.

Washington Update logo image credit: Romain Pontida, Creative Commons, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic, some modifications.