Pocan Statement on President Trump Reversing Course on Eliminating Special Olympics Funding

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?"