Action Alert
Protect the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities: Oppose Judge Kavanaugh’s Confirmation
Urge Congress to Pass the EMPOWER Care Act
Major Recent Events
Budget & Appropriations – Committee Approves FY 2019 Defense and L-HHS-ED Package
On September 13, a conference committee approved an appropriations package that funds the Departments of Defense and Labor Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (L-HHS-ED) for fiscal year (FY) 2019 that begins on October 1. Most of The Arc’s priority programs were level funded or received slight increases and controversial policy riders have been removed. The Senate is expected to vote on final passage this week, and the House during the week of September 24. Funding levels for The Arc’s priority programs can be found here.
Tax – House Committee Approves Second Round of Tax Cuts
On September 13, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a package of three tax bills (H.R. 6760, H.R. 6757, H.R. 6756), collectively referred to as “Tax Reform 2.0”. H.R. 6760 makes permanent the individual tax cuts from last year’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that are presently set to expire in 2025; H.R. 6757 makes various changes to retirement savings rules, including allowing penalty-free withdrawals for expenses related to birth or adoption; and H.R. 6756 makes various tax changes for startup companies. The full House is expected to vote on the package by the end of the month. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has said he wants the measure voted on before leaving for the recess and the final campaign push before November. The Arc opposes Tax Reform 2.0 as it sharply reduces federal revenue, extends tax cuts that primarily benefit wealthy individuals, and will create greater pressure to cut critical programs for people with disabilities. Read more from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities here and see the statement from CCD’s Fiscal Policy Task Force here.
Announcements
Employment / Income Support – New Briefs, Video Highlight the Need for Paid Leave in the Disability Community
The Arc and the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota have released two new data briefs from the Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey. The briefs look at the work experiences and outcomes of families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and the need for paid leave policies. One brief focuses on parents raising children with I/DD, while a second brief focuses on family caregivers of adults with I/DD. In addition, The Arc has released a new video which shares a personal story highlighting the importance of access to paid leave for people with disabilities and their families. Learn more at https://www.thearc.org/paidleave.
Health – CMS Announces Navigator Grants
On September 12, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced grants awarded for the Federally-Facilitated Exchange Navigator Program. Total funding has been reduced to $10 million which is down from $63 million in 2016 and $36 million in 2017. Navigators are charged with assisting consumers in choosing health plans. The administration is also eliminating a requirement that grantees have a physical presence in the area in which they operate. The Administration is also encouraging navigators to inform consumers about association health plans and short-term limited duration health plans, which do not have the protections of the Affordable Care Act. To find the navigator grantees in your state visit this list.
