Budget Reconciliation is the Darkest Day, Says National
Disability Advocates
Dec 21, 2005WASHINGTON, Dec. 21
/U.S. Newswire/ -- Sue Swenson, executive director of The Arc of the United
States and Stephen Bennett, president and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy, two of
the nation's leading non-profit organizations advocating for people with
disabilities, issued the following statement in response to the Congress'
passage of the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Reconciliation bill ("the Budget
Reduction Act"):
"Nationwide, people with disabilities should be
saddened to know that their United States Congress considers their health and
well- being a less than worthy investment. The Arc and UCP can truthfully say
this could be the darkest day for people with disabilities and the future looks
even bleaker.
"Congress has given State Governors unprecedented
abilities to balance their state budgets on the backs of the neediest. Most low-
income people with disabilities rely on Medicaid for their health and long-term
care. Governors can raise co-payments on Medicaid's prescription medicines and
therapies for millions of beneficiaries with disabilities, forcing them to
choose between life-saving services or rent, clothes and food. People with
disabilities who have no money can be denied the critical prescription drugs and
long- term care they need to survive if they cannot pay these co-payments
required by the new law.
"Children born with mental retardation, cerebral
palsy, and related developmental disabilities will suffer without Medicaid's
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program, which
can prevent and minimize disability through early, regular health screenings and
treatments. In addition, new onerous work requirements for TANF recipients will
force many parents of children with disabilities further into poverty.
"This Budget Reconciliation is unlike any other
in Congress' history and shows a true callousness for our nation's poorest and
most vulnerable populations. Passage of this law represents a huge set back for
services and supports for our constituents and their families. They deserve
better."
---
About The Arc of the United States
The Arc of the United States is the nation's
largest and leading national organization working on behalf of the 7 million
children and adults with mental retardation and related developmental
disabilities and their families. For more than half a century, the organization
has sought to increase the Federal government's role in protecting the rights of
and providing benefits, services and supports to our constituency. For more
information, visit
http://www.thearc.org.
About United Cerebral Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy is one of the nation's
leading organizations serving and advocating for the more than 54 million
Americans with disabilities. Most UCP consumers are people with disabilities
other than cerebral palsy. Through its nationwide network, United Cerebral Palsy
offers services to individuals, families and communities such as job training
and placement, physical therapy, individual and family support, early
intervention, social and recreation programs, community living, state and local
referrals, and instruction on how to use technology to perform everyday tasks.
For more information, visit
http://www.ucp.org.
About the Disability Policy Collaboration
The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) have
combined their resources, talents and strong legacy of grassroots involvement in
national public policy into a formal Disability Policy Collaboration (DPC).
Working together, UCP strives to be more effective in convincing policymakers of
the vast unmet needs of UCP constituents and in mobilizing UCP constituents,
their families, and UCP chapters and affiliates as active players in national
public policy. For more information about the DPC, visit the Web sites of The
Arc at
http://www.thearc.org and United Cerebral Palsy at
http://www.ucp.org.
Recent News Article about United Cerebral Palsy (UCP):
United Cerebral Palsy Telethon
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