'Shame On You’: Betsy DeVos Slammed For Trying To Defund Special Olympics

Ed Mazza
Updated

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos tried to defend the department’s proposed budget cuts ― including the elimination of funding for the Special Olympics ― in a hearing before House lawmakers on Tuesday.

It didn’t go well.

According to Education Week, the proposal released earlier this month would gut at least 29 programs in an attempt to save some $7 billion.

“We had to make some difficult decisions with this budget,” DeVos told a House subcommittee.

“Madam Secretary, I have to say, and maybe it’s offensive: Shame on you,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said per CNN.

The suggested budget has little chance of making it into law; the Trump administration has proposed similar cuts in previous years that didn’t pass when Republicans controlled the House. With Democrats now holding the purse strings, it’s even less likely to pass.

But if the Special Olympics cuts were enacted, more than 10 percent of the organization’s revenue would be impacted.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) asked DeVos how many kids would be affected by the proposed Special Olympics cuts.

DeVos said she didn’t know.

“It’s 272,000 kids,” he replied.

DeVos admitted that the Special Olympics was an “awesome organization” but noted that it also received support from philanthropic groups. DeVos, a billionaire, even donated a portion of her salary to the organization last year. More than two years ago, she met with Special Olympics athletes and shared this image on Twitter:

This week, that old image received many new replies:

DeVos pushed back on the negative public reactions to the budget proposal in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Special Olympics is not a federal program,” the statement said. “It’s a private organization. I love its work, and I have personally supported its mission. Because of its important work, it is able to raise more than $100 million every year. There are dozens of worthy nonprofits that support students and adults with disabilities that don’t get a dime of federal grant money.”

This story has been updated with a statement from Betsy DeVos.

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More than 200 million people worldwide have an intellectual disability, making it the largest disability group worldwide. The <a href="http://www.specialolympics.org/Games/PyeongChang_2013.aspx">Special Olympics</a> gives people with intellectual disabilities the chance to compete in competitive sports and to advocate for more inclusion in athletics and other areas of their lives. The Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea concluded on Feb. 5.
Crystal Greig of Canada performs during the women's figure skating level 1 event of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on the fourth day of the competition, Friday, Feb. 01, 2013. (Seonggwang Kim/AP Images for Special Olympics)
Crystal Greig of Canada performs during the women's figure skating level 1 event of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on the fourth day of the competition, Friday, Feb. 01, 2013. (Seonggwang Kim/AP Images for Special Olympics)
Olympic greats Apolo Anton Ohno and Catriona Le May Doan push tag their teammates -- O'Conner Anderson and Katie Saunders -- in a speed skating event.
Olympic greats Apolo Anton Ohno and Catriona Le May Doan push tag their teammates -- O'Conner Anderson and Katie Saunders -- in a speed skating event.
Martin Kvilekval of Norway celebrates his silver medal in the Alpine Super G.
Martin Kvilekval of Norway celebrates his silver medal in the Alpine Super G.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi celebrates with Bahrat athlete Dev Anil Dhingra after a snowshoe race.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi celebrates with Bahrat athlete Dev Anil Dhingra after a snowshoe race.
<a href="http://www.specialolympicsteamusa.org/2013/athlete?id=47">Scott Ball</a>, 36, a snowshoeing athlete from Pittsburg Kan., was named the 2010 KOAM TV Athlete of the year, received the Pittsburg Mayor's Citizen Award, the 2011 Kansas Community Service Award and was named the New Hope Employee of the year in 2011. His healthy lifestyle helped him lose 240 punds over a three-year period.
Korea`s floorball team receives a silver medal after the final match between Ireland and Korea at the floorball of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics World Winter Games in Gangneung, Gangwon province, South Korea on the third day of the competition, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. (Manchul Kim/AP Images for Special Olympics)
Korea`s floorball team receives a silver medal after the final match between Ireland and Korea at the floorball of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics World Winter Games in Gangneung, Gangwon province, South Korea on the third day of the competition, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. (Manchul Kim/AP Images for Special Olympics)
The snowshoeing athletes run to the finish line in Alpensia Biathlon Center during the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on the second day of the competition, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. (Manchul Kim/AP Images for SpecialOlympics)
The snowshoeing athletes run to the finish line in Alpensia Biathlon Center during the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on the second day of the competition, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. (Manchul Kim/AP Images for SpecialOlympics)
The Special Olympics participants have a talk during the ‘May I Serve You’ event of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on the fourth day of the competition, Friday, Feb. 01, 2013. (Seonggwang Kim/AP Images for Special Olympics)
The Special Olympics participants have a talk during the ‘May I Serve You’ event of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea on the fourth day of the competition, Friday, Feb. 01, 2013. (Seonggwang Kim/AP Images for Special Olympics)

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.