The Trump budget targets the disabled not just through Social Security Disability, Medicaid, and food stamp cuts. The Trump budget also slashes specific programs for independent living, limb loss, traumatic brain injury, and paralysis, among many others.
The Trump budget would cut $1.7 trillion from programs that assist the disabled and the poor.
Here are the Big 3 Trump budget cuts to the disabled and the poor:
Food stamps cut by $192 billion
Medicaid cut by $800 billion
Welfare cut by $21 billionThe Trump budget is an egregious attack on poor ppl
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— Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) May 23, 2017
More than half of young children with disabilities rely on Medicaid for their healthcare. Trump’s budget cuts to Social Security disability are so severe that they would have the impact of turning the program into a block grant, and block grants are a problem because historically, block granted programs lose 25%-51% of their funding.
If translated to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, one-quarter to more than half of the people on SSDI would lose their only source of income, which averages $1,172.51 a month per disabled worker.
This is a nightmare scenario for people who are barely scraping by as it is, but it gets worse for persons with disabilities.
Trump is targeting specific programs that assist individuals with disabilities:
Some HHS programs for #pwd the #TrumpBudget eliminates: Limb Loss Resource Center, Paralysis Resource Center. pic.twitter.com/hZdiKZMPGi
— KateGallagherRobbins (@kfgrobbins) May 23, 2017
Persons with disabilities could lose their heath care, income, food assistance, housing, independent living assistance, and access to programs to help them with their specific disabilities.
It should not come as any surprise that a candidate who mocked a disabled reporter during the campaign would show such an extreme lack of empathy to the challenges of persons with disabilities.
Trump’s budget itself may never become law, but the individual ideas about slashing the social safety net have been widely championed by House and Senate Republicans.
The Trump budget would make the lives of persons with disabilities hell, and the bad news is that some of these cuts stand a good chance of becoming law for as long as Republicans control Congress and the White House.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
