[Nfbf-l] {Disarmed} Fw: UCP Washington Wire: Week of Monday, July 25, 2011

Tue Jul 26 15:50:41 UTC 2011

UCP Washington Wire: Week of Monday, July 25, 2011        
----- Original Message ----- 
From: United Cerebral Palsy 
To: carlos.montas at gmail.com 
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 10:01 AM
Subject: UCP Washington Wire: Week of Monday, July 25, 2011

  UCP Washington Wire

  July 26, 2011

  CURRENT NEWS and UPDATES

  "CUT, CAP, and BALANCE" fails Procedural Vote in the Senate
  The Senate blocked the conservative version of a deficit reduction plan known as "Cut, Cap and Balance" on a party line 51-46 vote. The procedural vote was to "table" the bill, meaning a "yes" vote would yank the bill from the Senate floor. The House passed the same plan earlier last week, and the Senate rejection comes as House Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama had already moved on to negotiations on a different deficit reduction plan.

  Gang of Six Calls for Repeal of CLASS Act
  Early last week, the "Gang of Six" released a summary of a deficit deal that would cut the Community Living Assistance Supports and Services (CLASS) Act. The CLASS program is be a government-run insurance plan that is designed to help people living with disabilities or other health limitations. The program, designed with an all-cash benefit in mind, has the potential to give enrollees $50 or more per day depending on the amount of activities of daily life (ADLs) the person can perform. Eliminating the CLASS program would prove costly for the government. Repeal would amount to $83 billion that would have to be paid for by cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Click here to read the summary of the "Gang of Six Plan"  and here to learn more about  the effects the repeal of the CLASS program could have on your future.

  Editorial in the New York Times Defends Value of Medicaid
  In an editorial published last week in the New York Times, the recent assault on Medicaid was addressed. Medicaid is under fire from many government leaders, including state governors, Republican members of Congress, and even President Obama. These leaders willingness to cut billions of dollars in Medicaid and shift costs to states and low-income Americans is frightening. The article also highlights a study of Oregon's Medicaid program, conducted by Katherine Baicker, a Harvard health economics professor and previous advisor to President Bush and Amy Finkelstein, an economics professor at M.I.T.  Click here to read the full editorial.

  Default on Loans Could Cause Catastrophe in the United States
  Last week, political leaders like Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and President Obama used words like "catastrophic" and "Armageddon" to describe what could happen if debt talks fail and Congress and the President cannot agree on legislation to raise the debt ceiling before the American credit line runs out on August 2, 2011. Wall Street is saying that if this event occurs, markets and the whole economy could destabilize. It's also important to note that on August 15, 2011, the Treasury (who already owes $29 billion in interest) will have missed the $54 billion in scheduled payments if the debt ceiling has not been extended. Click here to read what else could happen if the United States government defaults.

  STATE CHECK-UP

  Protect Your Care Plans State Push
  Two weeks ago, the Protect Your Care coalition demanded that lawmakers give back the public benefits they receive and go on private plans. Last week, the group went to eight states to discuss Congressman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget proposal and its Medicaid implications. Protect Your Care along with AFSCME, SEIU, Community Catalyst, Center for American Progress, Families USA and HCAN popped up at assisted living centers and children's clinics in Colorado, Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin.

  South Carolina Faces $111 Million Cuts in Special Education 
  South Carolina may lose about $111 million in federal special education money for cutting its spending on students with disabilities for the last two years without the U.S. Department of Education's approval. In a letter Friday, the state was warned that if it doesn't come up with the $111 million that it cut from special education budgets for the last two years, the federal government will penalize South Carolina by the same amount. (Click here to read the letter.) The IDEA "maintenance of effort" rule says that states must keep special education spending the same from year to year, or increase it, regardless of the condition of their state budgets. If they can't, they must ask permission from the Education Department to cut their special education budgets to avoid being penalized by the same amount in federal special education dollars. Click here to read more from the Education Week article.

  Medicaid Waiver Good News for L.A.'s Homeless
  Los Angeles is home to a large number of homeless people, and there is some hope that the California Medicaid Waiver or "Bridge to Reform" will make it easier for government agencies to provide health care and housing for the homeless. Los Angeles' homeless population is made up of seniors, veterans and women. Nearly 34 percent of the region's chronic homeless are aged 55 or older. Older people, especially the homeless, require more health care. Read on to find out more about how the "Bridge to Reform" can help.

  ON THE HORIZON

  S. 1094 - Combating Autism Reauthorization Act
  This bill, sponsored by Senator Menendez (D-NJ) will reauthorize the Combating Autism Act of 2006. It has 22 cosponsors (17 Democrats and 5 Republicans). On May 26, the bill was read twice and referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP). On August 3, 2011, there will be a full HELP committee consideration and markup at 10 a.m. EDT in 430 Dirksen Senate Building. For more information, click here.

  For more information on this UCP Washington Wire contact: Connie Garner, CGarner at ucp.org<mailto:CGarner at ucp.org>.
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