Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on Monday. Justice Barrett was confirmed in a 52-48 Senate vote primarily along party lines, with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) joining the 45 Democratic Senators and two Independent Senators voting ‘no'. Following the vote, Justice Barrett was immediately sworn in to the country's highest court by Justice Clarence Thomas in an evening event held at the White House. The conclusion of the confirmation process means that Justice Barrett will preside over election-related cases and will participate in the November 10th oral arguments for two cases related to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
Plain language:
Amy Coney Barrett was voted onto the Supreme Court and officially joined it last week. She has already started working on court cases.
What it means to you:
The Supreme Court will soon begin work on two cases on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and it is very possible that the ACA will be repealed. Millions of people with disabilities and their families would lose health care access and protections if the ACA is repealed.
Action Steps:
Learn about the upcoming Supreme Court Case on the ACA, California v. Texas.
Read the Amicus Brief on the case from the disability community, including AUCD.
Learn more about how the Affordable Care Act benefits individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in this post by The Arc.
Read AUCD Policy Talk post, ‘It's time to save healthcare - again.' by Rylin Rodgers, AUCD Director of Public Policy.
Read AUCD's statementopposing the nomination of Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Negotiations on a COVID-19 relief bill remained stalled last week between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Both chambers of Congress are now on recess until November 9th, although the House of Representatives remains ‘on-call' should a deal on a COVID-19 relief bill be reached. Lawmakers now look to the possibility of passing a relief bill during the ‘lame duck' congressional session between Election Day and the new Congress on January 3rd.
Plain language:
Speaker Pelosi and the White House continue to talk about COVID-19 relief, but it is still unlikely that Congress will pass any additional COVID-19 relief.
What this means to you:
It is unlikely that Congress will pass a COVID-19 relief bill that includes funding to help people with disabilities and the people who support them. You can call or email Congress to tell them about how COVID-19 has changed your life, for example your housing, services, health, school, or work. Every call and email matters.
Action steps:
Read the Action Alert from AUCD for more details on how to contact your members of Congress and what to say when you do.
Email or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091(tty) and ask to be connected to your Senators and Representatives.
You can use this easy tool to find your members of Congress.
When talking about the critical need for HCBS dollars you may wish to share the study, COVID-19 Mortality Risk in Down Syndrome: Results From a Cohort Study Of 8 Million Adults, that found that people with Down syndrome have 10 times the risk of dying from Covid-19 compared to those without Down syndrome. This data shows how important it is that people can be in their homes and communities and not in congregant settings where the risk of COVID infection is significantly higher.
United States Postal Service
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to perform mail collection services to the extent necessary to increase on-time mail services, particularly as related to Election Mail. The ruling comes after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy came under intense scrutiny last month for the changes he had made to USPS operations in July that resulted in slower mail delivery across the country. The new order requires USPS personnel to resume mail collection trips to the "same or greater degree" as they were performed prior to the July changes. The judge also ordered that the USPS provide daily updates on the number of extra and late mail collection trips.
Plain language:
Many people have noticed that the mail is taking longer in the past few months. A judge has ordered the United States Postal Service to make changes that will help mail move faster.
What it means to you:
If you get your medications by mail, they should arrive more quickly. If you feel worried about mail-in voting, the mail-in ballots should arrive to the election office more quickly.
Read the stories collected by NCIL and AAPD about how disruption in the mail service has impacted people with disabilities.
If your mail service continues to be disrupted, contact your local USPSand share your stories and concerns with your members of Congress.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091(tty) and ask to be connected to your Senators and Representatives.
#AUCD2020 Conference Policy Events
We are excited to share that AUCD is offering several ways to engage with federal policy efforts as part of this year's virtual #AUCD2020 Conference:
Post-Election Analysis and Discussion with AUCD: Help us kick off our pre-conference events by joining the AUCD Policy Team as we break down the tentative results of the November 3rd elections and consider what they could mean for the disability community. Register today!
Date and time: Friday, November, 13, 2020, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
ASL interpretation and real-time captions will be provided.
Closing Hill Plenary: Join us for a pre-recorded Closing Plenary on the final day of the Conference to hear from an array of congressional leaders and legislative champions about their disability-related priorities and policies. This year’s speakers include Senator Bob Casey (Pennsylvania), Senator Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Representative Katherine Clark (Massachusetts), and more!
Date and time: Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 12:00 – 1:15 pm
Note: Due to the virtual format, we will not have a single Hill Day, but rather recommend that you schedule a meeting with your representatives between November 4th, 2020, and December 31st, 2020.
Action steps:
Register for the free and open to all Post-Election Analysis and Discussion with AUCD.
For any questions that could not be answered by the Toolkit, please contact Rylin Rodgers at [email protected] or Lauren Blachowiak at [email protected].
Voting 2020
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3rd, is Election Day! Early and absentee voting options have been available in many states and may continue to be available today. While a record number of people have already voted this election, it is important to remember that a final count of all in-person and mail-in ballots could take days or even weeks. Make sure you drop-off or mail-in your absentee ballot or vote in-person today!
Many disability organizations provide voting information in multiple accessible formats, such as ASL, plain language, and screen-reader friendly text. Check out these partners for accessible voting resources:
SABE GoVoter: both material and a survey to take about your 2020 voting experience
Sign Vote: access to important information related to the 2020 Election in ASL
If you are choosing to vote absentee by mail or drop box, now is the time to fill out and return your ballot to make sure it is counted!
Use our Absentee Voting Information by State chart to see ballot deadlines for your state, when absentee votes will be counted in your state, how to track your ballot, and link to your state election site.
Create a voting plan that meets your needs, reach out for help if you run into a barrier or need more information.
"For me, I vote for legislators and support candidates that will push for the same passions that I also have. So, I strongly encourage for all of you to read through all the statements of the candidates that you may support or that have been supported by other organizations that align with and speak to you the most, before you vote for them."
This week on Policy Talk, self-advocate Helen Nash shares her advice for deciding who to vote for this Election Day.
On this week's vintage #TWL, we celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month by revisiting the story and advocacy work of parents Warren and Aneasha Moore and their daughter Arren, who was born with Down syndrome.
A network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.
U.S. Supreme Court
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#AUCD2020 Conference Policy Events
Voting 2020
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