Washington Watch:
The Arc and UCP Public Policy Collaboration 2004 Legislative Goals at a Glance
In early December 2003, The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Public Policy Collaboration Steering Committee met to develop the Collaboration's 2004 Legislative Goals. Representatives from ANCOR also participated in the goals discussion. Feedback and suggestions from responses to the legislative goals survey of UCP affiliates and chapters of The Arc were carefully considered by the Steering Committee and addressed as the 2004 goals were crafted. No new goals were added and no existing goals were deleted from the 2003 version of the goals. However, minor changes were made to several subgoals and overall goal language was sharpened.
The greatest change within the 2004 legislative goals is the prioritization of the goals. In the past, the programmatic goals were outlined within two categories—priority goals and additional critical goals. For 2004, three tiers of priorities have been created for the programmatic legislative goals. The tiers include priority goals, critical goals, and additional critical goals. The three tier structure was adopted to underscore the critical importance of Medicaid, direct support workers, quality of services, and education as top priorities given the current political climate and anticipated agenda for the Second Session of the 108th Congress which may include Medicaid block grants and IDEA reauthorization in the spring of 2004. As always, fiscal issues, including the annual budget resolution and appropriations, remain a priority.
The Arc Board of Directors, UCP’s Professional Council, and the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) have formally endorsed the goals.
The foundations for the 2004 legislative agenda are The Arc's, UCP's and AAMR's mission statements, principles, core values, position statements, current policies, and input developed by volunteers, members, and professionals from across the country. The organizations have taken into consideration expected proposals from the White House and Congress and the laws that need reauthorization this year.
The Arc and UCP Public Policy Collaboration 2004 Legislative Goals at a Glance
FEDERAL FISCAL POLICY GOALS
Budget, Entitlements and Appropriations
The Second Session of the 108th Congress is expected to debate additional tax cuts and decide whether some of the recently enacted tax cuts will become permanent or be rolled back. Certain tax policies can limit the nation’s ability to address the unmet needs of our constituency.
Reductions in entitlement spending and expected attempts to dismantle Medicaid create an additional financial burden for state governments, who are already facing their worst budget crisis of the last 50 years. Since Medicaid finances lifesaving health care and long term supports for most of our vulnerable constituency who receive supports, their futures are inextricably linked to any shift in Medicaid policy. The very lives of our constituents are at stake in these policy deliberations.
Revenue Policy
The Second Session of the 108th Congress should address the unmet needs of people with disabilities and their families before making further tax cuts that could put existing disability programs at risk. Recently enacted tax cuts that have created a huge deficit should be rolled back. Congress should also avoid creating impediments to the states’ ability to raise sufficient revenue to meet human needs.
PROGRAMMATIC GOALS
The Arc, UCP and AAMR recognize the vital role that the Federal government plays in providing services, supports, and benefits for our constituents and in supporting programs that help prevent the causes and effects of mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities. Our constituents have diverse needs based on their desires, severity of their disability, age, and individual or family circumstance. Because of these factors, many will continue to depend on the Federal government for certain services, supports, and benefits.
Currently, there is also an explosive national crisis in the availability of appropriately qualified direct support workers due to factors such as low pay, high turnover, limited career options, and intense competition among employers for entry-level workers. These problems also apply to professionals in the field. This situation is severely limiting the ability of provider agencies to maintain or expand their services and supports. Worse, this crisis puts the lives of our constituency at risk.
Many of the outlined critical goals including assistive technology, health care, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will likely see legislative action during the Second Session of Congress and PPC staff will continue to address, protect, and advance the critical goals.
Although the additional critical goals listed below are important to our constituency, UCP and The Arc believes it is unlikely that legislative action will be taken on them during the Second Session of the 108th Congress, but these issues will be continually tracked through the year.
Given the fact that the First Session of the 108th Congress made very little progress on many of the 2003 legislative goals, the vast majority of those goals remain in play for 2004. It will be a particularly challenging year in the face of deficits, tax cuts, and caps on programs, as well as the focus on the November national election.
PRIORITY GOALS
The Arc, UCP and AAMR acknowledge that many vital Federal laws affect our constituency. Some of these laws rise in importance due to the pending Congressional attention being paid to them and the critical role these laws play in the lives of our constituents. Medicaid and special education statutes are both the most critical and the most vulnerable of these statutes. The relationship between Medicaid, direct support workers, and quality of services requires very close policy coordination. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees the fundamental right to a free, appropriate education for students with disabilities. Thus, these four legislative goals constitute our highest priorities for 2004.
CRITICAL GOALS
The Arc, UCP and AAMR have delineated seven critical legislative goals that reflect major laws and programs that are expected to receive scrutiny in the Second Session of the 108th Congress. These laws and programs also play key roles in the lives of our constituents and their families. In particular, they provide the essential cash benefits, health care, housing, employment, transportation, and technology supports to make community living a reality for our constituents. Given their importance, and the expectation that they will be addressed this year, they are critical goals. Listed in alphabetical order they include:
- Assistive Technology
- Employment, Training and Wages
- Health Care
- Housing
- Social Security/Income Maintenance
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Transportation
ADDITIONAL CRITICAL GOALS
The Arc, UCP and AAMR outlined 12 additional critical goals that represent vital policy elements of importance to the disability community. Some of the following goals may be addressed in the Second Session of the 108th Congress:
- Constitutional and Civil Rights
- Criminal Justice
- Data Collection
- Developmental Disabilities
- Family Support
- Habilitation
- Immigration and Naturalization
- Liability Insurance Protections
- Long Term Community Services and Supports for Individuals
- Prevention
- Research
- Tax Policy
Unexpected issues may arise throughout 2004. When and if this happens, additional positions on new laws or regulations will be based on The Arc's, UCP's and AAMR's existing policies and positions and given priority as needed. PPC staff looks forward to working with all of our partners within the disability community on advancing The Arc and UCP Public Policy Collaboration's 2004 legislative goals.
The PPC 2004 legislative goals are available on UCP’s Web site.