On July 15, 2025, a letter signed by a dozen federal special education leaders from Republican and Democratic presidential administrations since the 1960s was sent to Congress urging legislators to reject any efforts to move oversight of special education services out of the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). The letter also asked Congress to reject President Donald Trump’s plan to combine into a block grant certain funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in fiscal year 2026.
The letter, sent to leaders of the House and Senate education appropriations subcommittees, follows Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the Education Department to continue downsizing while legal challenges play out in the lower courts. That ruling means the USDE can move forward with its reduction in force of nearly half its workforce, including those in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).
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