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:
Senate Republicans passed another reconciliation bill on Thursday. It would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and does not include the SAVE America Act. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains in a partial shutdown, making it the longest shutdown for a federal department in U.S. history. Because Democrats have refused to fund ICE and CBP without new guardrails, Republicans used the reconciliation process to bypass the 60 vote threshold and pass the bill with a simple majority. The bill now moves to the House for its consideration.
Congress is beginning to draft and mark up appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2027. Congressional committees are holding a series of hearings for agency heads to testify about the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Executive’s policy priorities. This includes hearings with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose agency is responsible for funding and providing technical assistance to AUCD programs.
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). Immigration is when people leave one country to live in a different country. 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. Republicans in the House might have different priorities than Republicans in the Senate, and the Senate has different rules than the House, so some things might change about the bill.
Appropriations means money that is set aside by Congress for a particular use. Congress is starting to write bills that will include appropriations for different federal government departments and programs in the coming weeks. They will hold budget hearings, where they meet with agency leaders who will talk about the President's Budget. This includes hearings with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., which we talk about more below. 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.
View past issues of Disability Policy News to learn more about AUCD's policy priorities and how you can engage in policy actions.
