Story perspectives

Murphy, Murray decry 35% OCR cut, education shift

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

Senator Chris Murphy warned that Office of Civil Rights faces a 35% budget cut, contradicting Secretary Linda McMahon’s claim of increased funding.
The office inherited 12,000 pending cases, lost half its staff after a reduction-in-force, and dismissed 7,000 of 9,000 complaints received March-September 2025 without resolution.
Senator Patty Murray questioned plans to shift special-education programs to the Department of Health and Human Services, warning move could confuse schools and violate authority.

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Story summary

Senator Chris Murphy warned that Office of Civil Rights faces a 35% budget cut, contradicting Secretary Linda McMahon’s claim of increased funding.
The office inherited 12,000 pending cases, lost half its staff after a reduction-in-force, and dismissed 7,000 of 9,000 complaints received March-September 2025 without resolution.
Senator Patty Murray questioned plans to shift special-education programs to the Department of Health and Human Services, warning move could confuse schools and violate authority.