Kevin,

The text of the Senate bill allows for the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee to draft tax bills that cost no more than $1.5 trillion in lost revenue. But they do not tell the committees how to find cuts. So, by passing this bill in the Senate and allowing for reconciliation (majority vote), they are basically obscuring where the cuts will come from in the future. The House will probably go along with this approach when they vote this week to pass the budget. But, it will be later in appropriations that we see where the cuts will come from. The Budget Resolution is non-binding, the appropriations is where we’ll see the carnage.

The House has been very clear where they want these cuts to come from because their budget resolution instructed committees to make cuts that would include specific cuts to Medicaid and Medicare which the Center for Budget Policy Priorities breaks down. (See attached document.) Additionally, President Trump and Republican House and Senate leaders have been very clear on the areas they want to cut including Medicaid and Medicare – and those numbers have also been scored by CBO. Most look at these figures as roughly estimating the size of the budget once the House tax plan is figured in.

CBPP calls it a “two-step” and you can read how that works here. https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/republican-plans-to-cut-taxes-now-cut-programs-later-would-hurt-people-with They use data from the Congressional Budget Office on the House Budget and the Affordable Care Act repeal bills that show where the targets for cuts will likely come from based on the amounts specified.

I hope that is helpful. Please feel free to call me if you need more information.

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)

www.nacdd.org

From: Kevin Casey [mailto:xxxxxx@njcdd.org]
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2017 2:26 PM
To: Erin Prangley <xxxxxx@nacdd.org>; xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com; Aaron Carruthers <xxxxxx@scdd.ca.gov>; Ann Trudgeon <xxxxxx@okdhs.org>; Arlene Poncelet <xxxxxx@state.sd.us>; Becky Harker <xxxxxx@dhs.state.ia.us>; Beth Stalvey <xxxxxx@tcdd.texas.gov>; Beth Swedeen <xxxxxx@wisconsin.gov>; Brian Cox <xxxxxx@md-council.org>; Carolyn Knight <xxxxxx@dodd.ohio.gov>; Charles Hughes <xxxxxx@dmh.ms.gov>; Chris Egan <xxxxxx@dhhs.nc.gov>; Christine Dahlberg <xxxxxx@gcpd.in.gov>; Christine Pisani <xxxxxx@icdd.idaho.gov>; Claire Mantonya <xxxxxx@utah.gov>; Colleen Wieck <xxxxxx@state.mn.us>; Daniel M. Shannon <xxxxxx@state.ma.us>; Deanna Hartzman <xxxxxx@nacdd.org>; Deborah Swingley <xxxxxx@mtcdd.org>; Donna Meltzer <xxxxxx@nacdd.org>; Ed Holen <xxxxxx@ddc.wa.gov>; Elmyra Jones <xxxxxx@mh.alabama.gov>; Eric Jacobson <xxxxxx@gcdd.ga.gov>; Eric Munson <xxxxxx@dfa.arkansas.gov>; Erica McFadden <xxxxxx@azdes.gov>; Graham Mulholland <xxxxxx@state.pa.us>; Heidi Lawyer <xxxxxx@VBPD.virginia.gov>; Isadora Legendre <xxxxxx@ddc.nh.gov>; Jaime Daignault <xxxxxx@ocdd.org>; Jessica Misilo <xxxxxx@nacdd.org>; John Block <xxxxxx@state.nm.us>; Jordan Einhorn <xxxxxx@nacdd.org>; Julie Horntvedt <xxxxxx@nd.gov>; Kellie McCain <xxxxxx@ky.gov>; Kevin Nerney <xxxxxx@riddc.org>; Kim Mercer <xxxxxx@illinois.gov>; Kirsten Murphy <xxxxxx@vermont.gov>; Kristen Larsen <xxxxxx@nebraska.gov>; Marcia Tewell <xxxxxx@state.co.us>; Nancy Cronin <xxxxxx@maine.gov>; Norma Smith <xxxxxx@dhss.as>; Pam Sablan <xxxxxx@gmail.com>; Pat Maichle <xxxxxx@state.de.us>; Patrick Reinhart <xxxxxx@alaska.gov>; Rebecca Bax <rbax1@dhs.state.ia.us>; Robin Troutman <xxxxxx@nacdd.org>; Rosanne Ada <xxxxxx@gddc.guam.gov>; Sandee Winchell <xxxxxx@la.gov>; Shannon Buller <xxxxxx@wyo.gov>; Sheila M. Carey <xxxxxx@ddpc.ny.gov>; Sherry Manning <xxxxxx@dhhs.nv.gov>; Sheryl Matney <xxxxxx@nacdd.org>; Steve Gieber <xxxxxx@kcdd.org>; Steve Wiseman <xxxxxx@wv.gov>; Sudie Johnson <xxxxxx@dc.gov>; Valarie Bishop <xxxxxx@admin.sc.gov>; Valerie Breen <xxxxxx@fddc.org>; Vendella Collins <collinsv1@michigan.gov>; Vicky Davidson <xxxxxx@moddcouncil.org>; Walt Glomb <xxxxxx@ct.gov>; Wanda Willis <xxxxxx@tn.gov>; Waynette Cabral <xxxxxx@doh.hawaii.gov>; Yvonne D. Petersen <xxxxxx@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: NACDD position on Senate Passage of the FY 2018 Budget Resolution.

Erin, could you provide a short description of how the 1 trillion dollar number for Medicaid, and the 473 billion dollar cut for Medicare are arrived at? I get quite a few questions about that, including some that suggest that there is no real cut. Former Speaker Gingrich has essentially claimed that in a recent public statement.

Thanks.

Kevin

From: Erin Prangley [mailto:xxxxxx@nacdd.org]
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2017 12:02 PM
To: xxxxxx@nacdd.simplelists.com; Aaron Carruthers; Ann Trudgeon; Arlene Poncelet; Becky Harker; Beth Stalvey; Beth Swedeen; Brian Cox; Carolyn Knight; Charles Hughes; Chris Egan; Christine Dahlberg; Christine Pisani; Claire Mantonya; Colleen Wieck; Daniel M. Shannon; Deanna Hartzman; Deborah Swingley; Donna Meltzer; Ed Holen; Elmyra Jones; Eric Jacobson; Eric Munson; Erica McFadden; Erin Prangley; Graham Mulholland; Heidi Lawyer; Isadora Legendre; Jaime Daignault; Jessica Misilo; John Block; Jordan Einhorn; Julie Horntvedt; Kellie McCain; Kevin Casey; Kevin Nerney; Kim Mercer; Kirsten Murphy; Kristen Larsen; Marcia Tewell; Nancy Cronin; Norma Smith; Pam Sablan; Pat Maichle; Patrick Reinhart; Rebecca Bax; Robin Troutman; Rosanne Ada; Sandee Winchell; Shannon Buller; Sheila M. Carey; Sherry Manning; Sheryl Matney; Steve Gieber; Steve Wiseman; Sudie Johnson; Valarie Bishop; Valerie Breen; Vendella Collins; Vicky Davidson; Walt Glomb; Wanda Willis; Waynette Cabral; Yvonne D. Petersen
Subject: NACDD position on Senate Passage of the FY 2018 Budget Resolution.

Last week, NACDD-led Fiscal Policy Task Force for the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) released a statement on the FY2018 Senate Budget Resolution. See Attached and below. Please share this statement with your councils and networks. As always, please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you. -Erin

CCD Fiscal Policy Task Force Statement on Senate Passage of the FY 2018 Budget Resolution

Contact: Donna Meltzer, NACDD 202-506-5813 or xxxxxx@nacdd.org
Kim Musheno, AUCD 301-588-8252 or xxxxxx@aucd.org
Annie Acosta, The Arc 202-783-2229 or xxxxxx@thearc.org
Lisa Ekman, NOSSCR 202-550-9996 or xxxxxx@nosscr.org

Washington DC, October 20, 2017 - The Fiscal Policy Task Force of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), a national coalition of more than 100 national disability organizations, is deeply concerned about yesterday’s passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Senate Budget Resolution. The sole purpose of the budget is to provide a path to a massive tax cut plan using the reconciliation process, which permits the bill to pass with a simple majority in the Senate.

The Senate has further opened the door to cutting federal programs that help people with disabilities to live dignified and independent lives in the community. Though this budget does not require program cuts, it gives Congressional committees the green light to develop legislation that does. The Senate Budget’s Resolution’s assumption of more than $5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade - including more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and $473 billion in Medicare cuts alone - is an alarming indication of what could become law. Alternatively, if the intended resulting tax bill does not include cuts to federal programs, it gives Congress leverage to make the cuts later in the name of deficit reduction. Under either scenario, this Budget allows Congress to do so with only a simple majority vote required in the Senate.

“This Budget’s sole purpose to make way for massive tax cuts -- not reforms -- that disproportionately benefit wealthy individuals and corporations,” stated Kim Musheno, CCD Chair. “CCD urges the House to reject this budget and work on bi-partisan solutions that will address our nation’s priorities without harming people with disabilities.”

The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is the nation’s largest coalition of national organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the education, self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. For more information visit www.c-c-d.org.

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