Joe Kennedy says his ties to the Special Olympics have ‘little to do’ with his opposition to Betsy DeVos’s proposed cuts

Rep. Joe Kennedy III’s great aunt Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special Olympics more than a half-century ago. But according to the Massachusetts congressman, that has “little to do” with the reason he staunchly opposes Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s proposal to eliminate federal funding for the organization.

The proposed $17.6 million in cuts — roughly 10 percent of the Special Olympics’ overall funding — are part of a larger budget plan by DeVos that would reduce funding for the Education Department by $8.5 billion. Earlier this week, Kennedy vowed that the cuts “will never happen. Full stop.”

“This has little to do with the organization or obviously any kind of family connection,” he told CNN in an interview Thursday. “Just the fact it does such good work to so many kids across our country, that’s why I’m confident it will never happen.”

“It’s cruel, it’s misguided and it’s outrageous,” says @RepJoeKennedy, whose great aunt founded the Special Olympics, as Education Sec. Betsy DeVos defended her proposed cuts to the organization. https://t.co/HKk4NwFJX6 pic.twitter.com/H0qYziwmly

— New Day (@NewDay) March 28, 2019

During a House hearing Tuesday, DeVos herself acknowledged that the Democrat-controlled chamber would likely reject the cuts, though she contended that her department had to “make some difficult decisions.” While the top Republican education official testified that she personally “loves” the Special Olympics’ work and has “personally supported its mission,” she also pointed out that the private organization raises $100 million a year on its own.

In a separate interview Thursday on ABC’s  “The View,” Kennedy questioned why — of all the nonprofits funded by both federal grants and private philanthropy — the Special Olympics was being singled out. In the wake of the 2017 tax cut bill, the Newton Democrat called the decision to propose cuts to an organization for individuals with disabilities a “stunning” reflection of the Republican administration’s values. He also noted that the proposed education budget included $51 million in cuts in programs to address autism.

.@RepJoeKennedy calls proposed federal funding cuts to Special Olympics “just cruel."

“This is a Trump administration issue about the reflection of their priorities and the way that they see those that are different, that are vulnerable, in our country.” https://t.co/BPDCG5h0WY pic.twitter.com/bk83r7avZT

— The View (@TheView) March 28, 2019

“I have no idea why we would make these cuts,” he told CNN. “And to try to blame it on budget cuts and a strict budget environment — Republicans just passed a tax cut that reduced funding into our coffers, and then to say that you don’t have the money for Special Olympics or autism funding. It’s cruel, it’s misguided, and it’s outrageous.”

Kennedy noted that it wasn’t just Democratic lawmakers voicing opposition to the cuts. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, who chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees federal education funding, affirmed Wednesday that the Republican-led chamber would not cut funding for the Special Olympics.

“This is not a Democrat-Republican issue,” Kennedy said Thursday on “The View.” “This is a Trump administration issue.”

On CNN, Kennedy argued the combination of private and government support is part of what has made the Special Olympics such a success.

“This is an exact example of a program that — between a nonprofit, community support, and government — is able to lift up those that historically have been left in the shadows throughout our country’s history,” he said. “Why would the federal government not want to raise those folks up and celebrate them? That’s the whole point.”