By Bridget O’Brien Swartz, CELA and Morris Klein, CELA As federal budget deliberations become increasingly urgent, there are a number of issues in play: Given that Senate and House versions of the 2014 budget are $91 billion apart and that the fiscal year begins on October 1, a short-term continuing resolution to provide temporary funding [...]
By Mary Andrus, Asst. Vice President, Govt. Relations, Easter Seals Office of Public Affairs As Yogi Berra once put it, "It's déjà vu all over again." On May 16, 2013, the House of Representatives voted for the 37th time to repeal or defund at least part of the Affordable Care Act. Though nothing in Washington [...]
By Ethel Zelenske, Co-Chair, Social Security Task Force, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is a working coalition of more than 100 national consumer, advocacy, provider and professional organizations, working together with, and on behalf of, the 57 million children and adults with disabilities and their families living in [...]
By Bridget O’Brien Swartz, CELA As the 113th Congress gets down to business, it's all about the budget. Given the limited tax hike that was approved in the early hours of 2013, the long-term sustainability of many social services remains an issue and cuts appear inevitable. The question is where they will fall. Although entitlement [...]
By Joseph R. Gilsoul, Esq. A crisis looms concerning long-term care for individuals with disabilities. Very soon large numbers of baby boomers will begin to develop arthritis, Alzheimer's and other conditions requiring them to seek assistance with basic daily tasks. A potential first step towards addressing this problem—CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports)—is unlikely [...]