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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-17-25 Correspondence - Disability Rights Montana - The Government ReopenedFrom:Disability Rights Montana - Growth Rings To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]The Government Reopened Date:Monday, November 17, 2025 10:15:26 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Every paid subscription supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is nowhere near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! The Government Reopened Our Advocacy Must Go Further READ IN APP After weeks of uncertainty, the federal government has reopened. But for Disability Rights Montana, and disabled Montanans, the crisis is far from over. There is a lot of advocacy that needs to be done, and I want to invite you to shape the future of Montana by telling our Board of Directors what we should focus our advocacy on over the next year: Tell DRMT what to advocate about NOV 17 And you can also lead advocacy directly by signing up to join the Collective Disruption which is a political power-building community being built and mobilized by disabled people across Montana: Join MT's Collective Disruption movement Since March 2024, Congress has failed to pass a full budget. Instead, we’ve been operating under a series of continuing resolutions (CRs) that maintain level funding, CRs keep the lights on, but block new budgetary policy decisions from being made. That means no cost-of-living adjustments, no new program expansions, and no opportunity to advocate for updated priorities in what we do and don’t fund as a country. Congress will keep working on passing a real budget as opposed to more CRs. The President’s budget proposal to Congress for this year includes: · Zeroing out funding for three of Disability Rights Montana’s critical programs: advocacy for people with all disabilities other than developmental disabilities and significant mental illness (that includes blindness, deafness, mobility disabilities, ADHD, cancer, diabetes, etc., it also includes developmental and mental disabilities that don’t often qualify under the definitions for the other programs like many people with autism, depression, and anxiety), voting access for people with disabilities, and advocacy for disabled workers navigating vocational rehabilitation. · Cutting by two-thirds the funding of our work for people with significant mental illness and restricting advocacy to institutional settings only, eliminating support for community-based mental health advocacy. Because the the prolonged chaos in federal funding allocation and distribution, What’s Really Going On? What This Means for Montana Disability Rights Montana has already: · Laid off half its staff. · Shut down or scaled back programs for voting rights, employment advocacy, and broad disability rights outside of developmental disabilities and institutional mental illness. · Narrowed focus to developmental disabilities and institutional mental illness (e.g., Montana State Hospital, jails, nursing homes). The administration’s broader budget proposals include: · $700 billion in Medicaid cuts. · $300 billion in SNAP cuts. · HUD cuts civil rights enforcement and fair housing guidance. This week’s Growth Rings podcast breaks it all down even further: · Why continuing resolutions are failing us. · How federal budget proposals are dismantling disability rights infrastructure. · What DRMT is doing to stay afloat—and what we’re losing. · How you can help push back. · Share the podcast with friends, family, and allies. Housing, SNAP, and Medicaid Cuts Hear More on the Podcast What You Can Do Share Growth Rings · Contact your members of Congress and tell them what you think Montanans with disabilities need. Find you Congress member · Support Disability Rights Montana by donating, volunteering, or amplifying our work. What They’re Not Telling You DAVID CARLSON ·NOV 12 What They’re Not Telling You This episode is a powerful, unfiltered live conversation with David Carlson, Executive Director of Disability Rights Montana. This urgent broadcast dives into the unprecedented federal government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history— and its devastating impact on disability rights advocacy across the nation. With lifelong experience with disabilities, 30… Read full story Donate Volunteer to share your voice and ideas Share our Instagram posts Share our TikTok posts We’re not giving up. But we need your help to keep fighting for a Montana where disabled people can live, work, vote, and thrive. In solidarity, David David Carlson, J.D. Executive Director Disability Rights Montana You’re currently a free subscriber to Life Beyond Compliance. Upgrading to paid subscriptions supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is no where near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! Upgrade to paid LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Disability Rights Montana1022 Chestnut Street, Helena, MT 59601 Unsubscribe