WASHINGTON:
For Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, the recent wave of special education layoffs ordered during the U.S. government shutdown feels deeply personal.
More than 120 federal jobs connected to special education were cut after President Donald Trump ordered mass layoffs across the federal workforce in an attempt to pressure Democrats into ending the ongoing budget standoff, now entering its third week.
The cuts targeted nearly one-fifth of the Department of Education, including most of its special education division, according to court filings and the department’s union.
For Hassan, a second-term senator and former governor, the move strikes close to home. Her adult son, Ben, was born with cerebral palsy nearly forty years ago and once depended on federal education programs designed to support children with disabilities.
“This is a real blow to children and families across the country,” Hassan told reporters. “No parent is asking me to turn my back on kids with disabilities.”
The layoffs, temporarily halted by a federal judge on October 15, have caused widespread anxiety among parents and educators nationwide.
Advocacy organizations say they’ve been flooded with calls and emails from worried families unsure about the future of programs that support millions of students with special needs.
Experts warn that if the government shutdown continues, the effects could extend far beyond classrooms — impacting local school districts and threatening access to essential educational services.
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