After Trying for Three Years, Betsy DeVos Fails to Nix Special Olympics Funding

US Department of Education (USDOE) secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, has been in the news this week for her unfavorable (insensitive? foolish?) decision to propose– and ardently defend– $17.6M in cuts to Special Olympics in USDOE’s FY2020 proposed budget.

It isn’t the first time DeVos has proposed cutting Special Olympics. She has tried to cut Special Olympics in FY 2018 and FY 2019, as well.

Here is the language from the FY2019 budget summary justifying those cuts under the heading, “Programs Proposed for Elimination”:

Programs Proposed for Elimination

The 2019 request supports the Administration’s commitment to eliminating funding for programs that have achieved their original purpose, duplicate other programs, are narrowly focused, or are unable to demonstrate effectiveness. ….

Special Olympics Education Programs ……………………………………………… $12.6

This program supports a directed grant award to a not-for-profit organization. Funds are used to expand the Special Olympics and the design and implementation of Special Olympics education programs. Such activities are better supported with other Federal, State, local, or private funds.

The language in FY2020 and FY2019 was the same as it was in DeVos’ proposed budget for FY2018, with only the amount differing ($10.1M in FY2018).

Despite her repeated attempts to eliminate federal funding to Special Olympics (FY2018, FY2019, FY2020), the House has instead increased funding to the program.

In hearings before the House Appropriations Committee on March 26, 27, and 28, 2019, DeVos defended cutting Special Olympics, including the reasoning that the nonprofit is “well supported by the philanthropic sector, as well.”

DeVos further defended her actions in this March 27, 2019, USDOE press release, which ends as follows:

The Special Olympics is not a federal program. It’s a private organization. I love its work, and I have personally supported its mission. Because of its important work, it is able to raise more than $100 million every year. There are dozens of worthy nonprofits that support students and adults with disabilities that don’t get a dime of federal grant money. But given our current budget realities, the federal government cannot fund every worthy program, particularly ones that enjoy robust support from private donations.

And indeed, it is. According to its 2016 tax form for its DC-based national organization, Special Olympics received $96M in contributions and grants, with $11.5M derived from “government grants.” However, that $11.5M represents 12 percent of the nonprofit’s total revenue for the year. Furthermore, according to Special Olympics chairman, Tim Shriver, the federal funding is for Special Olympics programs in schools:

This particular initiative (the one that is federally funded) is a school-based initiative that is trying to teach inclusion, teach empathy, teach connection to the kids in schools in the country. We’re in about 6,000 schools. We’re introducing what we call “unified sport” where kids with and without special needs get to play on teams, learn from each other, become teammates, recognize that everybody matters. I mean, this is such a fundamental American lesson…. This is all about being able to look into your friend’s eye and learn from the child who has Down Syndrome, learn from the child who has autism when you’re in sixth grade, or eighth grade, or tenth grade….

So, here we have DeVos– education secretary– trying to cut federal funding for the Special Olympics program in schools.

She tried three years in a row.

For two years, funding increased.

And on March 28, 2019, Donald Trump “disavowed” DeVos’ stubbornly-defended attempt to kill federal funding to the program.

DeVos tried to play it off as what she wanted all along. From the March 28, 2019, The Hill:

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday said she sees “eye-to-eye” with President Trump on the Special Olympics after he overruled her planned budget that cut funding for the program.

“I am pleased and grateful the President and I see eye-to-eye on this issue and that he has decided to fund our Special Olympics grant. This is funding I have fought for behind the scenes over the last several years,” DeVos said in a statement.

Following Trump’s statement, Rep, Mark Pocan, who questioned DeVos on how if she knew how many children would be affected by her decision to cut federal funding to Special Olympics (when pressed, DeVos admitted she did not know), released the following response:

WASHINGTON, DC (March 28, 2019) – U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) today released the following statement regarding President Trump stating that he has reversed course on the decision to eliminate funding for Special Olympics in the Department of Education’s FY 2020 budget request.

“I’m extremely glad that the American people have convinced President Trump to do the right thing with Special Olympics. However, it shouldn’t take public outcry and shaming to restore funding to one of our nation’s most important special education programs.

“For the last three years, President Trump and Secretary DeVos have eliminated Special Olympics funding in the Department of Education’s budget request. This was not a one-off mistake where President Trump is making a correction or having a change in heart. Rather, President Trump and Secretary DeVos could not take one more day of a bad news cycle and the public shaming on their cruel and outrageous cut to Special Olympics. Congress was already planning to ignore the Administration’s disgraceful budget request, so this is only an attempt to save face. Further, the President doesn’t have the authority to authorize spending.

“President Trump’s budget is filled with misguided and dangerous cuts that will cause serious and lasting pain to the most vulnerable Americans. I’m hopeful that now President Trump has reversed course on Special Olympics, we can have a conversation regarding Social Security, Medicaid, the National Institutes of Health, and so much more.

“And by the way, can someone pull Betsy from under the bus?”

Betsy DeVos

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Schneider is a southern Louisiana native, career teacher, trained researcher, and author of two other books: A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who In the Implosion of American Public Education and Common Core Dilemma: Who Owns Our Schools?. You should buy these books. They’re great. No, really.

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