The Capitol Insider Newsletter

Volume 15, Issue 19
May 17, 2010   Sign up for Capitol Insider

Action Alerts

NEW:  Help Avert Drastic Medicaid Cuts.  Ask Your Representative to Vote for H.R. 4213

Major Events Last Week

Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriations

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) told human services advocates that the FY 2011 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education could be cut by 2.3 percent.  The escalating budget deficit and election year politics will make it extremely difficult to meet rising human service needs.

Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Resolution

House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-SC) has yet to decide whether the House will press for the passage a FY 2011 Budget Resolution (BR).  A BR provides the blueprint for federal spending by setting various budget totals and dividing spending totals into functional categories (e.g., transportation).  With few, if any, House Republicans likely support the BR, Chairman Spratt needs assurances from the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dogs that they will support a BR.  Without a BR, the House will then need to "deem" a BR to have passed and then allocate set sums for the twelve appropriations subcommittees to start work on their FY 2011 Appropriations bills.

Education

Alexa Posny, the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, spoke before the Education Task Force of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities.  She voiced concern about how states and school systems will react when the education related American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds dry up at the end of 2010.  The Administration has requested an additional $23 billion to assist struggling school systems avoid teacher layoffs.  She also expressed concern over the IDEA Part C Early Intervention program.  Several states have threatened to pull out of this program if federal funds are not substantially increased.  There was also discussion of the waiver granted by the Department of Education to the state of Kansas asking for relief from the Maintenance of Effort requirement regarding the use of state funds to support education.  More states are expected to seek similar waivers.

Olmstead/ADA Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reached a settlement agreement under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with St. Clair County, Illinois to improve access to its facilities, programs and services, including the county's polling places and emergency services.  Title II applies to state and local governments.  For additional information, see
http://www.ada.gov/stclare_pca/stclare_sa.htm

Emergency Management

The National Commission on Children and Disasters presented a progress report to the President and to Congress that identified shortcomings in the efforts of  several federal agencies.  The Departments of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Administration, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Justice and Defense were faulted for not  including the needs of children in preparation for, response to, and recovery from disasters.  The Commission chastised the federal government and called on the President and Congress to demand a National Strategy for Children and Disasters. See:
http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/

Major Events Ahead

Medicaid

Later this week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213) which includes a six month extension to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's (ARRA) temporary increase in the federal share of Medicaid spending (known as the FMAP).  The ARRA increase expires on December 31, 2010.  The Senate previously approved a six month extension to the ARRA increase to the FMAP.  Without this increase, states are likely to have to make significant cuts to their Medicaid programs for the 2011 fiscal year.

Announcements

UCP Conference

The DPC staff will travel to Chicago to participate in the United Cerebral Palsy Annual Conference from Thursday to Saturday.  Read about UCP's 2010 Mission Driven Business conference at:

http://www.ucp.org/events/2010conference/

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Please note that you can view previous issues of the Capitol Insider, at thearc.org anytime by choosing "Capitol Insider" under "Public Policy."
 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at:
mailto:acosta@thedpc.org

Sincerely,

Annie Acosta 
Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy 
Disability Policy Collaboration