News and Information Bulletin
December 21, 2005
Vice President Cheney broke a 50-50 tie vote in the Senate this morning to pass one of the worst bills in our nation's history affecting people with disabilities and their families. The bill will provide states license to cut Medicaid services and supports to very low-income Medicaid recipients. It reauthorizes TANF with onerous work requirements that make it almost impossible for TANF recipients with disabilities or those caring for family members with disabilities to meet these requirements while putting states in a financial predicament for maintaining these individuals in the TANF program.
Forty-four Democrats, one Independent and five Republican Senators voted against the report while 50 Republican Senators voted for the report. Find out how your Senator voted by visiting: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00363#position.
During the bill’s debate, Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) raised a “Point of Order” on medical liability and two reports that were required under the bill. Senator Conrad’s point of order was permitted because the Republican leaders were unable to muster the 60 votes necessary to defeat it.
Next Steps
Since the Senate bill now varies from the House-passed version, the Budget Reconciliation Conference Report must go back to the House of Representatives for a final vote on the amended version. This report will now require the House to return to session to pass the revised Reconciliation bill, which could happen later this week or next week.
An Action Alert on the pending House vote on the revised Budget Reconciliation Conference Report will be distributed when the timing of the vote is determined.
What’s The Potential Impact On Our Constituents?
The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy can truthfully say this could be the darkest day in national public policy for people with disabilities due to the scaling back of critical services and supports now serving our constituents. Most low-income people with disabilities rely on Medicaid for their health and long-term care and Congress has now given Governors unprecedented flexibility to raise co-payments on Medicaid’s prescription medicines and therapies. States could also decide to deny certain medical care and long-term supports to those who needed it the most.
Finally, this bill would require some Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries to wait as long as an additional year to receive back benefits owed them by the Social Security Administration.
Passage of this bill represents a huge setback for services and supports for our constituents and their families. If this bill becomes law, State chapters of The Arc and UCP affiliates will now have to work within their states to protect Medicaid programs for our constituents, since implementation of the new policies in the Budget Reconciliation bill will be in the hands of governors and state legislatures.
The Disability Policy Collaboration is extraordinarily appreciative of the leadership of The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy for a tremendous grassroots advocacy effort in the fight against the Budget Reconciliation bill. More information will be provided as the DPC analyzes the bill’s impact.
For information, resources and practical strategies on autism please visit: www.AutismConcepts.com.
