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Congressional Schedule
The House is in recess this week. The Senate will consider fiscal 2013 appropriations legislation for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies.
Budget & Appropriations
Senate Committees to Mark Up FY 2013 Spending Bill
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education will mark up its annual appropriations bill tomorrow, with the full Appropriations Committee tentatively scheduled to mark up on Thursday. However, the bill is not expected to move beyond the full committee until after the November elections, which means that Congress will need to pass short-term spending bills called continuing resolutions to fund government programs into the new fiscal year that begins October 1.
Hundreds of Advocates Join in Support of Discretionary Programs
AUCD staff joined more than 300 other advocates representing programs within the non-defense discretionary, or NDD, budget at a Town Hall meeting last week to discuss strategy around advocating for a balanced approach to deficit reduction that does not include further cuts to the NDD budget. Bob Greenstein, President of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, provided an overview of how the budget proposals of President Obama, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, and Governor Romney would impact NDD programs, which include most Labor, HHS, and Education programs. He also discussed the impact of the impending sequester (automatic, across-the-board cuts) on NDD programs. Greenstein suggested that the risk to discretionary programs is extremely high and encouraged advocates to work for a balanced approach to deficit reduction over the long term as well as policies that include revenues and tax fairness. Greenstein was followed by Emily Holubowich, executive director of the Coalition on Health Funding. Emily outlined the strategy and next steps for the newly formed broader coalition. The coalition will develop a tool kit to assist national and state leaders. AUCD already signed onto a letter advocating for a balanced approach that was circulated with the network for state and local support. Watch for more information and action steps soon.
CDC Funding
AUCD staff joined members of the Friends of NCBDDD (National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities) to meet with officials in the public health branch of the Office of Management and Budget. The "Friends" discussed the President's FY 2013 budget in relation to funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Advocates discussed the cost-effectiveness of programs within the Center and its large return on the small federal investment in disability research, surveillance, and prevention programs. The OMB officials also shared their outlook on FY 2013 appropriations and the development of the FY 2014 budget. OMB will prepare the FY 2014 budget with the assumption that President Obama will be re-elected and that Congress will not act to prevent the sequester (at least 8% across-the-board cut). When asked how advocates can be helpful during the FY 2014 budget talks, OMB staff asked that advocates provide the agency with information on their programs that demonstrate evidence of effectiveness. OMB staff were open to our input and suggested another meeting in the near future to provide further input about the Center's programs.
Employment
After a full committee markup, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved a Republican-sponsored bill (H.R. 4297) to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, including the Rehabilitation Act, by a vote of 23 to 15. The 1998 law's authority expired in 2003, but reauthorization attempts in the last several Congresses were unsuccessful (for background and more information on the Democratic reauthorization bill see April 30 In Brief). Prior to the markup, CCD sent a letter to Chairman Kline voicing concerns about the 27-program consolidation in the bill, and the proposed repeal of Title VI of the Rehabilitation Act which authorizes the Supported Employment program for those with the most severe disabilities who often face the greatest challenges in obtaining and retaining employment. You can view the archived webcast of the markup here.
Affordable Care Act: Get the Facts
AUCD offers facts about the law and its implementation in this new section of In Brief. See all the facts on our Get the Facts page.
AUCD Fellowship in Disability Policy Leadership
AUCD is now accepting applications for the 2013 Disability Policy Leadership Fellow. The deadline for applications is July 30, 2012. The fellowship is an opportunity for a network member to live and work in Washington, DC for one year, learn about AUCD, current federal legislation affecting people with disabilities and their families and exercise leadership skills. Click here to find out more about the fellowship and to read more about the experiences of the current Fellow, Kristina Majewski through her blog: "Transitioning into a Brave (New) World." For more information and to apply, click here.
Save the Date: National Forum on Disability Issues
AUCD is part of the forum planning committee for the 2012 National Forum on Disability Issues on Friday, September 28th at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. This event is a non-partisan forum where presidential candidates are scheduled to offer their visions of policy that affect people with disabilities. Among the 2012 invitees are President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney. The forum will be webcast live providing the opportunity for everyone to learn about the candidates' views on disability issues. If you cannot make it to Columbus, Ohio, please organize a watch party. For general information on the forum contact Kristina Majewski at AUCD. To co-sponsor or make a contribution to the forum, contact Sue Hetrick with Ability Center ([email protected]). Invitations to the presidential nominees were mailed last week. To support the forum, like it on Facebook!
For definitions of terms used in In Brief, please see AUCD's Glossary of Legislative Terms.
For copies of this and previous issues of Legislative News In Brief please visit the Public Policy Page of the AUCD website: http://www.aucd.org/template/page.cfm?id=164
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