In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in presidential politics. Many posts have discussed Trump's bad record on disability issues. As his words and actions have shown, he despises Americans with disabilities. He told his nephew Fred that severely disabled people -- such as Fred's son -- should "just die."
Project 2025 proposed to turn IDEA into a "no strings" block grant, effectively gutting the law and destroying protections that disability families have long relied upon. During the 2024 race, Trump denied any connection to the project, but now he proclaims it, praising OMB director Russ Vought "of Project 2025 fame."
Trump and Vought are now accomplishing their goal of ravaging the law. Instead of shifting it to a block grant, they are firing most of the staff who enforce it.
Zachary Schermele at USA Today:
A federal judge on Wednesday, Oct. 15, temporarily paused the U.S. Department of Education's decision to lay off nearly everyone in its special education division.
Judge Susan Illston in the Northern District of California issued the ruling, which applies to both the Education Department firings as well as thousands of others that swept through the federal workforce over the weekend.
In a court hearing, Illston blasted the White House, accusing President Donald Trump of using the government shutdown for political reasons.
"It's very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs," she said. "It's a human cost that cannot be tolerated."
...
[Secretary of Education Linda McMahon] suggested that no education funding, including money for special education programs, will be impacted by the new layoffs. Yet nearly every person in charge of administering billions of dollars through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was fired, a staffer previously told USA TODAY.
Before the temporary restraining order was issued Wednesday, the Education Department firings weren't scheduled to fully take effect for about two months.
