Chicago ADAPT will be visiting U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's office to find out if he supports our freedom!!When: Friday, June 16, 10:45 AM
Where: Senator Durbin's office is on the 38th floor, 230 South Dearborn (at Jackson), downtown Chicago, and we will meet by the elevators on the 38th floor.
Who: Anyone who believes that people with disabilities should not be forced into nursing homes by Medicaid regulations just because they need assistance with activities of daily living.
Why: Senator Durbin has not told the disability community where he stands on MiCASSA (the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act - S.1935). Although members of Chicago ADAPT have met with and talked to Sen. Durbin's staff, they have refused to schedule a meeting with members of ADAPT until after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) "scores" (analyzes) MiCASSA.
What does that mean? When the CBO scores a bill, they analyze it for Congress and project how much the bill will cost on an annual basis. When MiCASSA was first analyzed by the CBO, in 1998, they predicted that our freedom would cost approx. $20 billion per year. Unfortunately, the CBO failed to recognize the hidden economic impact of the institutionalization of our people.
Many people with disabilities (and their family or friends) are kept out of the workforce because they cannot get the assistance they need. The CBO has not taken into account the data from states which have been implementing MiCASSA-like programs, such as Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Kansas.
According to Katie Corrigan, the MiCASSA point person from Senator Tom Harkin's office in Washington, DC, MiCASSA will not be sent back to the CBO until more data is gathered AND it is clear that MiCASSA has broad political support! That means that Illinois' U.S. Senators must sign on to S.1935 as co-sponsors!! In communications with Ann Marie Murphy, a health care policy staff person for Sen. Durbin, in DC, she has informed Chicago ADAPT that we will NOT be able to meet with Sen. Durbin until after the CBO scores MiCASSA. Not only has Durbin refused to commit to supporting MiCASSA, he won't even meet with us!!!
Where does Illinois' other U.S. Senator, Peter Fitzgerald, stand? Although he has not yet agreed to become a MiCASSA co-sponsor, Sen. Fitzgerald was at least willing to meet with Chicago ADAPT members, via telephone, and discuss MiCASSA and how it will FREE OUR PEOPLE! Chicago ADAPT expects to find out very shortly whether or not Sen. Fitzgerald will support MiCASSA and demonstrate his leadership on this issue.
Since it is now clear that Senators Harkin and Specter will not resubmit MiCASSA to the CBO until politicians like Dick Durbin get off the fence, WE CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER to find out if Durbin supports our right to choose to live in our own homes and communities!!
On June 16, we will demand that Dick Durbin come out of hiding, meet us face to face and become a co-sponsor of MiCASSA!!
Don't bother bringing signs, just bring your bodies and your VOICES!!!
If you have questions, please call Larry Biondi at 708-209-1500 or Mary Delgado at 312-226-5900.
Free our people!!!