On the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, DNC Vice Chair Senator Duckworth lays out the stakes for the disability community: “This isn’t about politics – any human being who suggests that people with disabilities ‘should just die’ is fundamentally unfit to serve.”

On the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, DNC Vice Chair Senator Tammy Duckworth released the following statement in response to new reporting on Donald Trump’s comments and record on Americans with disabilities:

“It’s hard to describe the pain millions of Americans with disabilities are feeling in response to Donald Trump’s newly-reported comments against folks with disabilities. But we know this is nothing new for him — he mocked a reporter with a physical disability, dismissed traumatic brain injuries as ‘not very serious,’ attempted to slash support for disabled veterans, and so much more. This isn’t about politics, any human being who suggests that people with disabilities ‘should just die’ is fundamentally unfit to serve.

“And Trump’s Project 2025 agenda would go even farther, as he threatens to rip away millions of Americans’ health care coverage by terminating the Affordable Care Act. On the 34th anniversary of the ADA, we’re reminded how far we’ve come but how much work still remains, and we won’t go backward.

“The disability community cannot afford another four years of Trump.”

The news about Trump’s vile comment came just two weeks after the American Association of People with Disabilities responded to the RNC’s decision to deny AAPD observer passes. The Democratic National Convention will, however, be giving AAPD table space and has been clear that it values AAPD’s place at the Democratic National Convention. 

Trump has an alarming record of disregarding, denigrating, and directly harming Americans with disabilities: 

• Trump faced a series of lawsuits for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Trump mocked a reporter with a physical disability.
• Trump dismissed traumatic brain injuries as “not very serious.”
• The Trump administration scaled back the use of fines against nursing homes that harm residents or place them in grave risk of injury. 
• Trump has called Social Security, which millions of Americans with disabilities rely on, a “Ponzi Scheme.”
• Trump’s proposed budget for FY18 would have slashed individual unemployment benefits for disabled veterans by more than $40.8 billion over 10 years.
• While he was in office, each of Trump’s budgets called for Social Security and Medicare cuts. Trump himself encouraged expanded privatization of Medicare plans.
• Trump proudly says he wants to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act — which would endanger the health care coverage of the 45 million Americans enrolled in coverage through the ACA marketplace and Medicaid expansion.
• When asked about cuts to Medicare and Social Security in a second term in 2020, Trump said “Oh we’ll be cutting,” and he doubled down this year, saying, “There’s a lot you can do… in terms of cutting.”

Trump’s Project 2025 agenda would go even further in harming Americans with disabilities:

• The Project 2025 agenda includes eliminating Head Start, which has helped over 3 million children with disabilities since its beginning in 1972. 
• The Project 2025 agenda would put Medicaid on a path to privatization, leaving Americans with disabilities and preexisting conditions left to pay exorbitant out- of-pocket costs. 
•  Trump’s Project 2025 agenda calls for time-limit or lifetime caps to be added to Medicaid, which could threaten over 18 million Americans’ health care coverage.
• The Project 2025 agenda would raise prescription drug prices by repealing the Biden-Harris administration’s caps on out-of-pocket drug costs.
• The Project 2025 agenda calls for the total elimination of the U.S. Department of Education and would gut funding for programs that support students with disabilities.