This is lower than low. The bills supporters have sent out mass emails to disability lists accross the country saying that they will lose their funding unless they call their senators and urge their support for the bill.

This is bad, bad, bad! The disabilitycommunity is being bombarded with lies about the porkulus bill.

This is the same over inflated Trillion dollar pork bill that is trying to be passed now by hitting up the disability community. What they do not tell you is that the money that goes to each state will be controlled by the federal government. In other words, the states have no say so in how the money gets spent. So if the feds say across the board the money is going to only poor areas, that is what will happen no matter what. This is Taxation without Representation, and personally I don’t want it. Plus what works in New York will not necessarily work in Texas.

Please be careful with your support for this bill. The supporters in congress are waging an all out war with scare tactics to attempt to get this passed.

I have also heard that these provisions may not even be in the bill. I dont know that for sure, but someone should check it out,



This is the email I got:

National Down Syndrome Congress and National Down Syndrome Society Action Alert!
February 5, 2009

In This Issue –Call Your Senators Today!

Action Needed Immediately
Call Today!

Call TOLL FREE
1-800-473-6711 and ask for your Senators’ offices. Ask them to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Please send questions or comments to susan@ndsccenter.org.
::

Immediate Action Needed on Important Disability Provisions
Call your Senators Action Needed Immediately

This is a critical moment for funding for services for individuals with disabilities. Action is needed on two important matters currently before the Senate.

Action Item One
Support Disability Provisions of Economic Stimulus Package
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is on the Senate floor this week.
Several of the provisions of this Act benefit people with disabilities including:

Medicaid
- $87 billion for an increase for the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP)

Education
- $13 billion for IDEA Part B State Grants and $500 million for Early Intervention - Part C of IDEA

Social Security- $17 billion total for a one-time payment ($300) to all SSI and Social Security recipients, veterans, and others and $890 million to improve the National Computer Center and information technology

Jobs - $500 million for Vocational Rehabilitation programs.

Several amendments are being proposed that could jeopardize this desperately needed funding. Please call your Senator and ask him or her to pass this bill. As always, constituent calls are essential in getting important legislation passed.

Talking Points

·Please support S.1 and oppose any amendments that would weaken Medicaid assistance to states.

·The economic recovery package provides important funding to programs that provide essential support services to people with disabilities.

·Please keep these provisions in the bill.

Action Item Two
Ask Your Senator to Support Sense of the Senate Resolution to Rescind Certain Medicaid Regulations

Please ask that your Senators also support the attached “Sense of the Senate to Rescind Certain Medicaid Regulations”. The Amendment is sponsored by Senators Schumer, Inouye and Baucus and states that it is the Sense of the Senate that the following regulations should be rescinded that would have an impact on individuals with disabilities.

1. School-based Medicaid services, such as transportation

Some school districts are able to access Medicaid funding to be reimbursed for transportation and other administrative costs for Medicaid eligible children. This regulation, if not rescinded, could severely limit this funding causing already financially strapped school district to lose a great deal of funding.

2. Medicaid rehabilitative services

This is an important source of Medicaid funding for many adult services. Losing this funding would cause the loss of these services.

3. Case management services

This regulation would limit funding for case management services for individuals with disabilities, primarily those leaving institutions.

Below are the relevant portions of the amendment.
SEC. 5006. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING RESCISSION OF CERTAIN MEDICAID REGULATIONS

It is the sense of the Senate that the following regulations relating to Medicaid should be rescinded:

(4) REHABILITATIVE SERVICES.-The proposed regulation published on August 13, 2007 (72 Federal Register 45201).

(5) PAYMENTS FOR COSTS OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, TRANSPORTATION.-The final regulation published on December 28, 2007 (72 Federal Register 73635).

(6) CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.-The interim final regulation published on December 4,2007 (Federal Register 68077).