U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), along with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 14 other senators, has criticized the Trump Administration for actions they say undermine federal support for people with disabilities. The lawmakers sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, expressing concern over the firing of nearly all employees in the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). They argue that this move, combined with the cancellation of special education grants, jeopardizes the government’s ability to meet its legal obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The senators wrote, “We write today with outrage at your reported decision to fire nearly everyone at the Department of Education (the Department) dedicated to delivering services and resources to infants, toddlers, children, youth, and adults with disabilities. A federal judge has paused all of the illegal reductions-in-force issued during the government shutdown, noting that they appear to be ‘the epitome of hasty, arbitrary, and capricious decision-making.’ We call on you to immediately end your illegal effort to fire these workers and ensure the offices are restored so that the staff can effectively implement statutorily required responsibilities assigned to the Secretary of Education.”
They further stated, “Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), every student in America is legally entitled to a free, appropriate public education and yet you have decimated, without justification, the federal offices that help make that happen for children with disabilities and their families. By effectively closing these offices, you have sent a clear message: the Trump Administration does not believe that children with disabilities deserve an equal education.”
The letter details concerns about a pattern of actions by the administration, including previous staff reductions and cancellation of investments aimed at improving accessibility for students. “Your actions to undermine the rights and protections guaranteed by IDEA and the Department’s ability to enforce them compounds that wrong. We must do more, not less, to support children with disabilities and their families,” the senators wrote.
Families across the country have reportedly expressed fear of losing services as a result of these decisions. The senators demanded a reversal of staff firings and requested answers from Secretary McMahon and Director Vought regarding the number of affected employees, the impact on experience and expertise, and how critical special education programs will be administered going forward.
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is responsible for distributing over $15 billion in grants to support states and other entities in providing special education services. It also monitors compliance with IDEA and supports professional development and technical assistance for educators and families.
In addition to Senators Hirono and Van Hollen, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks, Michael Bennet, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Kirsten Gillibrand, Mark Kelly, Amy Klobuchar, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Alex Padilla, Ben Ray Lujan, Jacky Rosen, Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren, and Ron Wyden.
The senators requested detailed information on staffing changes, communication with states, and future plans for the offices responsible for administering IDEA and related laws. They also questioned the rationale behind labeling these programs as partisan and asked what other educational programs might be targeted for cuts.
November 2025 marks 50 years since IDEA’s predecessor law was enacted. Despite its protections remaining in force, lawmakers note that the federal government has never met its commitment to fund 40 percent of the cost of educating students with disabilities.
