  
Action Alerts
Time to get back on the phones and say “Don’t Cut Our Lifeline!”
Autism and Other DD Interventions at Risk. Help Make Sure that the Combating Autism Act gets Reauthorized
Major Events Last Week
Employment – House hearing on federal job training programs
On August 30th, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) joined Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV) in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District to host a field hearing entitled “Examining Local Solutions to Strengthen Federal Job Training Programs.” The field hearing took place at the Opportunity Village which, according to the testimony of its Executive Director, provides “assessment, training and employment services” to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Click here to access opening statements and testimony.
Major Events Ahead
Budget/Deficit Reduction – Congress reconvenes; Work continues on Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 appropriations bills and the first meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
Congress will reconvene this week after its August recess. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are expected to continue their work on the FY 2012 spending bills. Under the Budget Control Act, the Committees must adhere to spending caps for FY 2012 to FY 2021. The FY 2012 caps represent an overall cut of 4% for ALL discretionary programs, which means that individual program funding (such as Section 811 housing) can be eliminated, be further reduced, remain the same, or even increased at this point. The House Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee has just scheduled the markup of its FY 2012 appropriations bill for this Friday, September 9. The Senate has not yet announced a mark-up date.
Meanwhile, staff of the Committees on which the Members of the Joint Committee serve have been tapped to help support the Joint Committee which is charged with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years. The staff is expected to work on plans for the first in-person organizational meeting of the Joint Committee scheduled for this Thursday, September 8 and the first public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, September 13. Learn more about the Budget Control Act and how it may affect funding for disability-related programs.
Employment – President Obama to Speak on Jobs and the Economy
On September 8th at 7:00 PM (EDT), President Obama will address a Joint Session of Congress about the need to create jobs and grow the U.S. economy. Disability groups are urging the President to include people with disabilities in his jobs-creation proposal.
Announcements
Rally to Protect Medicaid – Wednesday, September 21 in Washington, DC
The Arc is one of 40+ disability, aging and civil rights organizations cosponsoring a “Rally for Real Medicaid Reform” on Wednesday, September 21 at noon on Capitol Hill. The rally is being led by ADAPT. To participate, gather between the Reflecting Pool and the U.S. Capitol, on the west side of the Capitol. The closest major intersection is Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and First Street, NW. The closest Metro station is Union Station on the Red Line.
Rights – New issue of Disability Rights Online News is now available
The new issue of Disability Rights Online News, the bi-monthly update about the Civil Rights Division’s activities in the area of disability rights, has been added to the ADA website and is now available — access the new issue of Online News and recent additions to ADA.gov.
To learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you may visit the Justice Department’s ADA website or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD). |
