By Jesse Connelly-Cohen 03/28/2019
Federal funding for the Special Olympics will not be cut after President Donald Trump tweeted support for the organization. Education Secretary Betsy Devos recommended funding be dropped as part of a budget proposal.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump publicly undermined DeVos’s proposal via Twitter when he said, “The Special Olympics will be funded. I just told my people, I want to fund the Special Olympics and I just authorized a funding of the Special Olympics.”
DeVos defended the cuts previously but seemed to agree with the President’s decision, telling CNN, “I am pleased and grateful that 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.”
Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin confronted DeVos saying “[if DeVos] hadn’t come up with the cut, the person who did should get a Special Olympic gold medal for insensitivity.” Democrats and Republicans alike are in favor of continuing funding for the Special Olympics.
The Special Olympics released a statement of thanks to the President saying, “He joins a long history of over 50 years of United States Presidents and Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle in their support of Special Olympics and the work we do in communities throughout the country.”