Hello—Could you please add me to this email list? Thank you!
Jeremy
From: Holen, Ed (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2019 10:52 AM
To: Norden-Paul, Jeremy (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; Martinez, Aundreaha (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; Aladin, Aziz (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; Dahl, Brian (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; Rogers, Emily (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>;
Easton, Kathy (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; Patrick, Donna (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; Rasmussen, Phillip (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; West, Linda (DDC) <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>
Subject: FW: Capitol notes from NACDD.
Update on federal legislation.
Ed
From:
xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com <xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com>
On Behalf Of Erin Prangley
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2019 9:46 AM
To: xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com
Subject: Capitol notes from NACDD.
Dear Policy Watchers:
It’s great to start off with a “win” this week. Thanks to the amazing advocacy both inside and outside the Beltway, the House quickly passed a bipartisan
bill which would extend the Money Follows the Person Demonstration project for another years! H.R. 3253 - Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act passed the House with a vote of 371-46. We were hoping for a “unanimous
consent” vote, but certain members demanded a “roll call” vote. You can see how your member of Congress voted here: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2019/roll333.xml.
The one thing you should do today: Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and “thank” or “spank” (note your disapproval) your member of Congress for their vote
on H.R. 3253.
Money Follows the Person Advances to Senate
As great as the House vote on extending MFP demonstration programs was, we still face hurdles in the Senate. The bill that passed the House still doesn’t have a Senate companion, so in the Senate we will
keep pushing for the EMPOWER Care Act that includes funding for MFP.
Because you want to do more today...
Engage in the National Day of Action geared towards the Senate today, the link to the FB event is here, feel free to share: https://www.facebook.com/events/470220790392285/
And, The Arc has an outstanding action alert for individuals who want to ask their senators to support the legislation at https://disabilityadvocacynetwork.org/app/make-a-call?0&engagementId=432613.
Appropriations
It’s halftime for the appropriations “Minibus1” in Washington, DC as Congress. We made it through voting on amendments that affect appropriations for ACL and DD Councils and
we are still looking good. In fact, Rep. Doris Matsui (HI) easily passed an amendment (376 – 48) that would increase by $2 million ACL’s aging and disability services programs to support innovative programs that assist young people with developmental disabilities
in obtaining and sustaining long term employment, and that prepare employers to support the success of those employees and decreases general department management by $2 million. Check out how your member of congress voted here: (Roll
no. 280) Don’t get too excited though. We already know the Senate bill will look different from the House, and nothing is certain to make it
past a conference report.
The rumor is the Senate is anxious to get to the Labor/HHS appropriations
bill, and could hold a mark-up after the July 4th recess.
But, negotiations on
raising budget caps could stall the process.
Autism CARES Act gets a hearing next week!
NACDD priority legislation,
The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2019 (H.R.1058)
will be considered at a hearing of
the Subcommittee on Health of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce next Tuesday, June 25,2019. This is a critical step in the reauthorization process. We want to keep up the pressure to pass this bill before its sunset date this September. So far, 117
members of the House and 25 Senators have joined as co-sponsors.
Medicare for All Gets a 2nd House Hearing
It’s really exciting to watch all the different approaches to expanding healthcare coming out of the House. There’s so much out there, that it can be overwhelming. That’s
why last week’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Medicare for all caught my attention. If you are looking for some good analysis, check out the hearing testimony here. https://waysandmeans.house.gov/legislation/hearings/pathways-universal-health-coverage There’s
also a nice write up in Vox here. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/12/18660256/medicare-for-all-hearing-house-ways-and-means
Hot Topic: Poverty Thresholds
A lot of people are asking me about the Administration’s proposal to use a lower inflation measure to calculate annual adjustments to the federal poverty line. Of
course it is bad! This is an attempt to drop people from safety net programs that would hurt millions
of seniors and people with disabilities who would lose their eligibility for, or receive less help from, programs to help them make ends meet. As the Center on Budget Policy Priorities says, “Many programs use
the poverty line to determine eligibility and benefits and, if this proposal took effect, the cuts to these programs — and the numbers of people losing assistance or receiving less of it — would increase with each passing year.” Read the basics of the proposal
to use a lower measure of inflation (such as the “chained CPI”) to reduce the number of people eligible for a wide variety of federal programs here.
And how it hurts seniors and people with disabilities here. https://www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-poverty-line-proposal-would-hurt-seniors-people-with-disabilities
Later this week, NACDD will join coalition partners in submitting comments in opposition to this proposal.
School Safety Webinar on June 25
On Wednesday, June 26th, the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS), formerly known as the Office of Safe and Healthy Students,
and its REMS TA Center will host a webinar on
trauma-informed care for schools before, during, and after possible events and how to address trauma in school emergency operations plans (EOPs). Presenters will provide an overview of trauma and retraumatization,
including their causes; discuss manifestations of trauma in students; explore a trauma-informed approach; and review considerations for school preparedness planning. Register for the webinar here. http://remstacenter.org/webinars/WebinarRegistration.aspx?WebinarID=3094
Erin Prangley
Director, Public Policy
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
1825 K Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
202.506.5813 Ext. 104 (Phone) | 202.506.5846 (Fax)