Action Alerts

Ongoing:

• Help Protect Children with Disabilities from Harmful Seclusion and Restraint in Schools.

Major Events Last Week

FY 2011 Budget

President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2011 budget request on February 1. The $3.8 trillion budget is highlighted by a three year freeze in discretionary spending except for those related to defense and national security. The request would add another $1.6 trillion to the national debt while increasing funding for programs and tax policy to spur economic growth and job development. Last week's issue of the DPC's National Policy Matters for chapters of The Arc and affiliates of UCP provided details on the budget proposal as it relates to key disability programs.

Debt Limit

The House of Representatives voted 233 to 187 to increase the federal debt limit by $1.9 trillion, raising the debt limit ceiling to $14.3 trillion. Enactment of this bill was necessary to ensure that the federal government does not default on its financial obligations. The measure also restores the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget enforcement rule. PAYGO requires that any expansions to entitlement programs or tax cuts be paid for by raising additional revenue or making offsetting spending cuts. PAYGO is aimed at restoring fiscal responsibility. At the same time, it will make it more difficult to expand entitlement programs such as Medicaid. The bill now goes to the White House for signature by President Obama.

Health Care Reform

In a televised interview over the weekend, President Obama reached out to Congressional Republicans to work together on health care reform. With the swearing in of Senator Brown (R-MA) last week, Senate Democrats have few avenues remaining to move health care reform forward. The President invited Hill Republicans to a White House meeting to be televised on February 25. Each party would be given an opportunity to offer their ideas on how to lower health care costs while covering the many individuals who don't have health care coverage. In reply, some Republicans called for the Democrats to scrap their health care reform bills and to start the process over.

Medicaid

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced legislation to extend the federal matching rate (Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, referred to as FMAP) for an additional six months. The current enhanced FMAP expires on December 31, 2010. The new bill would retain the FMAP increase through June 30, 2011. The Senate leadership hopes to attach this bill to a measure that is soon to come up for a vote, possibly the jobs bill. The House passed a similar measure last year. Many states are relying on the enhanced Medicaid match to avoid further cuts in Medicaid services.

Seclusion and Restraint

The House Education and Labor Committee voted 34 to 10 to pass the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act. This legislation would require the U.S. Department of Education to set minimal standards for states to prevent the use of mechanical, chemical or physical restraints in schools except under limited circumstances such as when a student or school personnel would be in immediate danger. A recent Government Accountability Office study revealed that restraints and seclusion practices were disproportionately used on students with disabilities. The full House is expected to consider the bill soon. The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy strongly endorsed the bill.

Major Events Ahead

Employment/Jobs

The Senate may vote this week on a bill to create new jobs to spur economic growth and reduce the very high unemployment rate. Few details on the Senate bill have been released. The House passed its jobs bill last December.

Announcements

Disability Policy Seminar

You can help us Build bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for disability issues. Register Today for the Disability Policy Seminar, April 12-14, 2010, in Washington, D.C. and help us educate policy makers and their staff about the national disability issues that affect you and those in your community. During full-day sessions on April 12 and 13, you will hear from Washington's top policy experts about issues vital to the disability community and be equipped with the tools you need to champion these issues. Then, on April 14, you will meet with your Members of Congress and their staff, who want to hear from YOU about the issues affecting you, your family and your community. Save $60 by registering before March 9, 2010. This event will sell out! For more information and an event brochure, see:
http://www.disabilitypolicyseminar.org/

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

Read previous Capitol Insider issues now.

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

Sincerely,

Annie Acosta
Director of Communications and Grassroots
Disability Policy Collaboration