Stop Budget Cuts to Special Olympics and Special Education Programs

A proposal to cut spending of $18 Million Federal Dollars from Special Olympics and other Special Education Programs was proposed by the Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in a budget meeting on Capitol Hill. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), says to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, on 3/27 during a budget meeting "once again, I still can't understand why you would go after disabled children in your budget. You zero that out." Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) says to Madam Secretary "It's 272,000 kids that are affected". Secretary Betsy DeVos responded "we had to make some difficult decisions". 18 Million Dollars is a huge cut in spending for Special Olympics and other Special Education programs, one that the families of children with special needs would not survive.
Special Olympics was founded by the great aunt of Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass), Eunice Shriver. The organization helps more than 6,000 American schools, as well as organizing international sports for people with disabilities. "This is an international movement to try to make sure that everyone counts," says Rep. Joe Kennedy to CNN news on 3/28. Kennedy goes on to say "To try to blame it on budget cuts and strict budget environment, Republicans just passed a tax cut that reduced funding into our coffers, and then to say that you don't have the money for Special Olympics? Or Autism Funding? Its cruel, its misguided, and its outrageous."
Families today already struggle with mediocre to extremely poor supports with health care professionals who are under-trained, or untrained. The system regulation is underfunded and support staff make poverty level income in some cases due to insufficient funding from the government. If anything, special needs programs need more funding from the government, as well as more funding for support staff training and increase in income to an adequate living wage.
This petition is going to Congress to shut down all processes relating to cutting funding from the Special Olympics and other Special Education Programs.
We have a voice. We the People.