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U.S. NEWS Thursday 28 March 2019

SPECIAL OLYMPICS able." pectations and improv-
Continued from Front Some Special Olympics ing outcomes for infants
DeVos is expected to pres- athletes joined in to support and toddlers, children and
ent her budget to Blunt's the group, including Derek youth with disabilities, and
panel Thursday, just days "Tank" Schottle, who post- are committed to confront-
after being grilled over it ed a video that had been ing and addressing any-
in the House. Democrats viewed more than 140,000 thing that stands in the way
on a House subcommit- times by Wednesday. of their success."
tee asked DeVos how she "Win or lose, we're all win- This isn't the first time DeVos
could cut Special Olympics ners in our hearts," he said. has run afoul of disability
funding while calling for a "What warms peoples' rights advocates.
$60 million increase in char- hearts is we're all humans, Some were stunned by
ter school funding. just like everybody else." a 2017 Senate hearing in
"Once again, I still can't un- The Special Olympics' 2017 which DeVos, while being Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a House Ap-
derstand why you would annual report, the latest questioned about a feder- propriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill in
go after disabled children available on its website, al law supporting students Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019.
in your budget. You've ze- says the group received a with disabilities, said it was Associated Press
roed that out. It's appall- total of $148 million in rev- "a matter that is best left
ing," Rep. Barbara Lee, D- enue that year, including to the states." When asked cates last December when from unwarranted disci-
Calif., said at the hearing. $15.5 million from federal if she was familiar with the she rescinded Obama-era pline. In making the deci-
DeVos told the panel that grants. More than three federal law, she said she guidance meant to pro- sion, DeVos said discipline
her department "had to quarters of the group's "may have confused it." tect racial minorities and decisions should be left to
make some difficult deci- revenue comes from in- DeVos again roiled advo- students with disabilities teachers and schools.q
sions," adding that the Spe- dividual and corporate
cial Olympics is best sup- contributions and other
ported by philanthropy. fundraising efforts. DeVos'
Following the hearing, Twit- budget places the Special
ter was alight with com- Olympics funding among
ments from parents, advo- 29 programs up for elimina-
cates and celebrities who tion in 2020, arguing that
slammed DeVos and urged they have achieved their
her to rethink the proposal. purpose or that they are
Joe Haden, who plays for ineffective, don't meet na-
the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers tional needs or are better
and works as an ambassa- funded from other sources.
dor for the Special Olym- The proposal separately
pics, said he was sickened calls for $13.2 billion in fed-
by the cut. "This is so wrong eral grants awarded to
on so many Levels!" he said states for special educa-
on Twitter. tion, the same amount that
Former Ohio Gov. John Ka- was given this year.
sich, a Republican, called In her statement, DeVos
the proposal outrageous. said it was "shameful" that
Kasich, who also represent- the media and members
ed Ohio in the U.S. House, of Congress "spun up false-
said that when he was on hoods and fully misrepre-
the budget committee, sented the facts." She drew
"these types of programs attention to the $13.2 bil-
were off limits — for good lion in state grants, along
reason." with an additional $226
Others opposing DeVos in- million for grants support-
cluded Julie Foudy , former ing teacher training and
captain of the U.S. women's research to help students
soccer team, and actress with disabilities.
Marlee Matlin , who said "Make no mistake," she
the benefits of the Special added, "we are focused
Olympics are "immeasur- every day on raising ex-