On April 16th 2025, The Washington Post reported on a leaked budget. This budget came from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These budgets can be confusing. We will describe some of the things it says. We will focus on the ones that can hurt disabled people.
What is the President’s Budget?
Every year, the President of the United States sends a proposed budget to Congress, called “The President’s Budget. The President’s Budget includes costs for every program at every agency. This includes new programs to be funded and old programs to be removed.
But, the numbers in the President’s budget do not actually change the amount of funding that agencies or programs get from Congress. Congress does not have to adopt the President’s budget. Congress controls how much money each agency and program gets.
Congress can spend funds in whatever way it determines. The President’s budget is what we call a “messaging document”. That means it exists to send a message about the President’s top priorities. And to share them with Congress and the American people.
Members of the President’s party may put pressure on other Congress members to support the President’s budget. The President may also try to pressure Congresspeople to support parts of the budget.
But no matter what, Congress has the final say in how much money they give to each agency. Once the budget is finalized, Congress talks about it for a long time. None of the proposals in the budget can become law without Congress saying so.
This is only one leak, from only one agency. But AAPD expects that the full budget will come out in May. After, Congressional committees that keep track of spending will start discussions. They will discuss how money will be given to the agencies and spent over the next year. They could consider what the President wants, but they don’t have to.
Why should I be concerned about a draft proposed budget?
It’s important to remember this is one leak from one agency. This is not the final version that Congress will see. But, this tells us that the Administration wants to cut lots of key programs. Specifically, ones that support disabled people, children, or older people. The draft proposal would significantly reduce access to health equity services.
But everyone should be concerned about this budget. It could heavily impact the future of healthcare. As well as disability rights and independent living.
What can I do to fight against this draft budget?
If you are worried about this proposed budget, contact your members of Congress. Tell them how important these programs are to you. You can use this action alert from the National Disability Rights Network to easily contact your members of Congress.
Who does this draft proposed HHS budget harm?
This HHS budget harms disabled people, young children, and older adults. It also affects researchers. And, organizations that provide critical services to millions of people around the country.
What are the most concerning parts of the proposed draft budget?
- Disability-Related Agencies and Divisions are proposed to be eliminated. One of AAPD’s biggest concerns is that several programs and divisions inside HHS would be cut. These programs do very important work for our community.
- Restructuring of Programs. The budget will restructure a lot of HHS. This means that people from different places within the agency will be moved around. They might be moved to areas where they don’t have a lot of work experience. This will make it difficult for them to do their jobs. Make America Healthy Again wants to cut HRSA. Additionall,y it’ll move around parts of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This will be called the “Primary Care and Health Centers.” This would cut programs for family planning, traumatic brain injury, and more. Lots of disability-specific programs will be cut.
- Almost All Programs for Mental Health Will Be Cut. More than 40 programs would be shuttered under this proposal. Only a few programs will remain. Some substance use programs, the 998 hotline, and youth suicide prevention. That’s all.
- ACL Program Reorganization & DD Program Elimination. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is essential for people with disabilities or older adults. They are so important for people with disabilities to work toward living at home. This budget will dismantle ACL almost entirely. The draft budget also aims to remove nearly all programs authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). This would end forms of legal assistance for disabled people.
- The Protection and Advocacy agencies would be cut. These agencies ensure that the rights of people with disabilities aren’t being violated. They have permission to go into places like hospitals and even jails. They do this to make sure people with disabilities are being treated fairly.
- Grants for independent living would change drastically. Right now they are under ACL. But this proposal will move then to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This proposal aims to bring together “disability programs” within grants. The proposal does this in “block-grant-style” funding to states. Block grants are amounts of money given from a large government to a smaller one. In this case, it would be the federal government giving money to states. This would end up becoming community living and independent living services become even more varied from state to state.
- Block-grant funding provides states with federal funds for a very broad scope of work. Block-grant funding doesn’t usually work for disability and healthcare programs. The needs of the disability community are too complex and nuanced.
- Remove Funding for Head Start. Head Start is a critical program that provides free child care services for families with children from birth through age five. Head Start programs support children with disabilities and disabled parents. Head Start has been providing services to families since 1965. This proposed budget seeks to eliminate all federal funding for the program.
- Remove Head Start and Other Children and Families Programs. The draft budget proposes removing programs under the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This includes Head Start. Head Start is a critical program that provides free child care services. Head Start is for with children from birth through five years old.
- Reorganization and Elimination of Programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Historically, there has been support from both parties for the NIH. The NIH conducts a lot of scientific research for the country and the world. The draft proposed budget eliminates several institutes and centers within NIH and consolidates other programs. These changes would seriously impair and reduce the work carried out by NIH. The National Institute for Nursing Research, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Fogarty International Center, and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities are all eliminated in the proposed budget. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities is a critical source of data and research specific to the health and care barriers faced by the disability community. Further, all remaining institutes and centers that are not cut would be consolidated into only eight centers/institutes. This attack on NIH could cause serious harm to the future of scientific discoveries and health research, which would likely reduce the quality of life of people with disabilities and take away essential resources and information the disability community needs.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Reorganization and Sweeping Program Elimination: Similar to other components within HHS, the proposed draft budget presents a “reform” of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The following programs would be eliminated: Prevention and Public Health Fund; National Center for Viral Hepatitis, STD, & TB Prevention; Lyme Disease, Prion Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, & Harmful Algal Bloom; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion; and Global Health Center. The Office for Preparedness and Response would be eliminated, establishing a new Center for Preparedness and Response. The Strategic National Stockpile is proposed to sell all surplus, and the Hospital Preparedness Program Cooperative Agreement, the Office of Medical Reserve Corps, and the HHS Coordination Operations Response Element would all be eliminated. If these programs are eliminated outright, the United States government will be unable to mount an appropriate response to future epidemics and pandemics.