2/23/26 - Year 1 of Trump II, and a rare win in Congress

Good afternoon!

With today's links we're taking stock and grabbing for a little bit of hope ...

Disability Under Donald Trump’s Second Term — So Far

Sonali Gupta, Disabled Journalists Association - February 17, 2026

"For the Disability community, it has been especially rocky as Trump’s hand-picked secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., set out on a crusade against autism, which has long claimed is caused by environmental factors, including vaccines, a claim widely debunked by decades of scientific research ... In the lead up to the SOTU, we reviewed Trump II to highlight the administration’s actions that have affected Disabled people."

I have been craving an article like this one, a piece that summarizes everything the second Trump administration has done in its first year, and how it all relates to disabled people. I hope we get similar recaps of 2026, in early 2027 if not before.

Trump Wanted To Cut Disability Programs. Congress Just Said No

Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop - February 5, 2026

"'Disability advocates worked hard to educate members of Congress about the value of and critical need for the disability programs funded by the federal government. As a result, Congress unequivocally rejected the cuts to disability programs proposed in President Trump’s budget,' said Alison Barkoff, a health law and policy professor at George Washington University who previously led the Administration for Community Living. 'Advocates will need to ensure that agencies quickly disburse critically needed appropriated funding and that the administration heeds to the directives of Congress regarding agency reorganizations.'"

This Time, We Were Heard

Grace Dow, Grace Dow Writes - February 9, 2026

"That’s why this moment feels so important. In a rare act of bipartisan agreement, lawmakers from both parties acknowledged that disability services aren’t optional; they are essential. Their decision reflects not just political priorities but also the determination of disability advocates who have spent years explaining, often painfully, what happens when these supports are removed ... At the same time, this win reminds us how fragile these programs and laws can be. They rely on political support, public interest, and ongoing advocacy. The fact that they were almost cut should inspire all of us to stay involved and continue to speak out."

I never know quite what to think and feel when disability advocacy wins significant victories against hostile initiatives that initially look unstoppable. Is it a meaningful victory that's truly worth celebrating? Or, is it a one-off reversal of trend because at a particular moment exactly the right specific disability constituencies happened to be involved? Is it a sign of more possible victories to come, on a wider range of disability issues? Or, will opponents learn from their rookie mistakes and win next time around? Did we win because the proposed cuts reminded enough lawmakers of their special, bipartisan connections and responsibilities on disability issues? Or, was it a byproduct of a larger pattern of political infighting with little to do with disability issues? Maybe it's a little bit of all of these things. For now, what matters most is that some important disability programs can continue their work. And that's certainly worth celebrating and learning from, at least for the moment.

Disability Thinking Weekday is a Monday-Friday newsletter with links and commentary on disability-related articles and other content. You can help promote Disability Thinking Weekday by forwarding it by email or posting on your social media. You can also comment by sending me an email at: apulrang@icloud.com. Collected comments are shared on the first of each month. A free subscription sends a newsletter to your email each weekday. Benefits of paid subscription include:

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