Date: Monday, June 23, 2025
Category: Member News
Greetings from Washington, D.C., where things are heating up, and it’s not just the weather. Like a boa constrictor trying to swallow a rabbit, Congress is rushing to get some major items pushed through the House and the Senate.
The BBB, otherwise known as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” passed the House, but is facing headwinds in the Senate. This bill makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent and increases funding for the border. It includes Medicaid work requirements for some populations, eliminates taxes on tips, and increases the child tax credit to $2,500. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion over the next decade.
Next comes the budget recission package. This package focuses on making many of the DOGE cuts permanent, plus eliminating federal funding for PBS and NPR. Essentially, it would allow the Administration to “claw back” funding that’s already been approved by Congress. The total amount of cuts is $9.4 billion; most of that is eliminating USAID. The House approved the package on June 12. It’s now up to the Senate.
Finally, both the House and the Senate are working on FY 2026 budgets through the appropriations process. Several different bills make up the annual federal appropriations process. Congress usually starts with the relatively easy bills first that enjoy broad agreement, such as appropriations for military and defense. The Labor, Health and Human Services bill (Labor-HHS) is the toughest bill to pass, so the Senate has it scheduled last for consideration – July 24th, right before the August recess.
At RESNA, we are tracking the Labor-HHS bill, as it contains appropriations for Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), National Institute of Health (NIH), and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation (NIDILRR), the federal government’s primary research agency for assistive technology and disability. NIDILRR grants fund the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers across the country. The current proposal cuts $19 million from the NIDILRR program. Since the entire program is only $119 million, this is a major cut.
There are several other programmatic cuts being considered. All these cuts would have a detrimental impact on services for people with disabilities and the assistive technology professional community.
RESNA is a member of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC), which has provided this helpful overview of the President’s Budget Request for HHS. Stay tuned to RESNA for more information throughout the summer and fall.
August Recess Opportunities
Congress is scheduled to be on recess in August. This annual recess provides plenty of opportunities to communicate with your representatives.
Please consider scheduling a meeting with your representatives, attending town halls, writing Op Eds, and contacting news media with stories about what AT is doing to help people lead independent lives. Join with other groups in your community to provide greater numbers. If you work at an RERC, invite your Senator and Congressional representative for a tour. Feel free to contact me directly at execoffice@resna.org if you would like to discuss ideas.
Consider joining RESNA’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC). As a member, you will receive news and information about what’s happening, as well as talking points and suggestions for advocacy. Email execoffice@resna.org. Please note, you must be a RESNA member to join.