From the Arc of the United States:
Action Alert
Tax Bill Threatens Critical Programs – Act Now
Major Events Ahead
Budget & Appropriations/Tax Policy – House to Vote Tomorrow and the Senate on Wednesday on Harmful Tax Bill – Take Action
On December 15, the House and Senate Conference Report on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was released and approved by the conference committee. Though the compromise bill removes some of the objectionable provisions from prior versions, such as repeal of the medical expense deduction, the work opportunity tax credits, and the disabled access credit, The Arc strongly opposes this legislation. The TCJA repeals the individual mandate to have health insurance, leading to 13 million fewer people with coverage, and increases the deficit by nearly $1.5 trillion over a decade, adding pressure to cut Medicaid and other critical programs while providing tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the most affluent and large corporations. See a summary of winners and losers in the bill from the New York Times. Take Action TODAY to oppose this historic damaging legislation.
Family Support – House to Vote on RAISE Act
The House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 3759, the Recognize, Assist, Include, and Engage (RAISE) Act today. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Representatives Gregg Harper (R-MS), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) calls for the development of a national strategy to support the nation’s more than 40 million caregivers. It would bring together stakeholders from both the public and private sector to create an advisory body. This advisory body would then develop recommendations for how government, communities, providers, employers, and others can better recognize and support family caregivers. The Senate passed the RAISE Act in September. The Arc supports this legislation.
Major Recent Events
Education – House Committee Advances Higher Education Bill
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed H.R. 4508, the PROSPER Act, on December 12. The final vote, 23-17, along party lines, advances the measure to the full House for a vote. The bill would overhaul the existing Higher Education Act by consolidating the student aid system, eliminating various regulations, and elevating post-secondary programs that offer professional certificates and job training. While The Arc appreciates the bill’s continuation of the Transition and Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TSPID), we oppose this legislation because it makes college less affordable and eliminates grants that support teacher preparation, increase accessibility for students with disabilities, support faculty who work with students with disabilities, and provide accessible materials. See the letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities on H.R. 4508. Meanwhile in the Senate, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Patty Murray (D-WA), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, respectively, are working toward a bipartisan solution.
Medicaid/Long Term Services and Supports – Senators Introduce Bipartisan Money Follows the Person Reauthorization
On December 14, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources, and Care (EMPOWER Care) Act (S. 2227). This bill reauthorizes the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program, which provides grants to states to transition people from institutions to community based settings. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this program has helped over 63,000 people transition into the community and saved almost $1 billion for Medicare and Medicaid as of 2013.
Budget & Appropriations – Controversial Short-Term Funding Bill Released
On December 13, House Republicans released a funding bill which would fund the government through Jan. 19, 2018. This continuing resolution (CR) includes large defense funding increases and leaves out the two Affordable Care Act market stabilization proposals (Alexander-Murray and Collins-Nelson) that Maine Senator Susan Collins had negotiated in exchange for her vote on the tax bill. While the bill does include a full five-year re-authorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and a two-year re-authorization for Community Health Centers, it proposes harmful offsets to Medicare and Medicaid to fund those provisions. The bill is not expected to garner the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. The current CR expires on Dec. 22, setting the stage for a possible government shutdown if Congress fails to reach agreement on a funding bill.
Education – Administration Seeks to Delay IDEA Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Rule
The U.S. Department of Education is seeking comments on a plan to delay enforcement of what’s known as the “significant disproportionality” rule for two years. At issue is a rule finalized at the end of the Obama administration aimed at preventing overrepresentation of minorities in special education. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, states must identify school districts with high rates of students from particular racial or ethnic groups that are placed in restrictive settings or are subject to discipline. States use different measures to assess what’s known as “significant disproportionality,” resulting in few districts ever being identified. The rule, which is slated to take effect July 1, 2018, addresses this problem by establishing a uniform, national standard. See the 2013 Government Accountability Office report recommending a standard approach to defining significant disproportionality across states.
Announcements
Housing – New “Priced Out” Housing Affordability Report Released
The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force have released “Priced Out: The Housing Affordability Crisis for People with Disabilities.” This biennial report documents the nationwide housing affordability crisis experienced by people with disabilities. In 2016, millions of adults with disabilities living solely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) found that renting even a modest one-bedroom unit in their community would require nearly all of their monthly income. In hundreds of higher-cost housing markets, the average rent for such basic units is actually much greater than the entirety of an SSI monthly payment. As outlined in Priced Out, proven solutions to the crisis exist. Visit the Priced Out web site to view the report, summaries, and an interactive tool to help you learn about the affordable housing crisis for people with disabilities in your own state and community.
Meg Cooch
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
Meg@thearcofil.org